


I'll Do It For Her

by ObnoxiousHeart



Category: Legacies (TV 2018)
Genre: But you know they love each other, F/F, Fluff and Angst, Mutual Pining, Season 2 Rewrite, Slow Burn, So Bear With me, Unresolved Romantic Tension, tiny bit of smut
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-08
Updated: 2020-04-07
Packaged: 2021-02-28 18:34:11
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 21,281
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23061772
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ObnoxiousHeart/pseuds/ObnoxiousHeart
Summary: “There’s no way to lift the curse per se. Only to…circumvent it,” Caroline adds, flashing one of her overly enthusiastic smile towards the increasingly suspicious girls before her.The matriarch then turns to the remaining witch kneeling at the center of the circle, the one Josie assumed to be the coven’s leader. “Do you want to take it from here?”The hood of her robe had until then obscured her face, but as the witch turns around and the hood falls back, Josie’s blood runs cold."Hey, Jojo"--A few months before their 22nd birthday, the reality of the Merge becomes an overwhelming concern. What happens when Caroline returns to Salvatore with a certain raven-haired witch in tow?
Relationships: Hope Mikaelson & Lizzie Saltzman, Penelope Park & Josie Saltzman, Penelope Park/Josie Saltzman
Comments: 142
Kudos: 641





	1. Satan's Grand Plan

Sleep is not something that comes easily to Josie Saltzman these days. It wasn’t always like that. She used to sleep soundly, used to be one of those people who could close their eyes, take a deep breath, and be carried off to slumber. But ever since she found out about the Merge, every waking hour is either spent quelling her anxiety towards her and Lizzie’s impending doom or researching loopholes _out_ of said doom. There are some nights where sleep is as elusive to the young witch as is the solution to the Merge itself. So when she’s unceremoniously pulled out of her rare night of peaceful slumber, annoyed even begin to describe her immense displeasure.

“Josie,” the red-haired tribrid calls out in a breathy whisper, “Josie, get up!”

Hope’s command is coupled with a frantic shaking of the brunette’s shoulders. As for Hope, she practically has to restrain herself from using her supernatural strength to flip the bed out from under the stubborn siphon. 

As Josie raises herself onto her elbows, rubbing the last remnants of sleep from her eyes, the brunette sees Hope waking Lizzie up in a similar manner from the adjacent bed. Even in her drowsy state, Lizzie’s hiss is clear as day, “If you don’t stop shaking me, you can find yourself a new girlfriend, Mikaelson!”

“Babe,” Hope attempts to console the raging blond with the term of endearment, “No time to explain.” She softens her statement further with a quick kiss to her girlfriend’s head. 

To absolutely no one’s surprise, Lizzie and Hope got together a few months after the twin’s 20th birthday. The impending nature of twin’s curse and Hope’s fear of losing another person she loves proved to be the perfect catalyst to push the young tribrid to finally confess her feelings for the feisty siphon.

Their relationship proved to be a great comfort to Lizzie. The blond’s panic attacks and rampages became less frequent and when they do emerge, Hope would speed her girlfriend out to the woods to release her emotions. The arrangement proved quite useful for the twin’s individual growth. With Hope stepping up as another leg of support for Lizzie, Josie was able to come into her own. The brunette became more outspoken, more ready to go after the things she wants…everything but one. One box of memories she’s buried so deep inside herself that Josie’s convinced it doesn’t exist.

The twin’s relationship with each other improved as well. Josette’s words have never been more significant than it has been these past few years. _Fight for each other._ The Merge has placed upon them a burden no other can understand. They’ve learned to lean on each other without being co-dependent on each other. They’re syncing more on the same wavelength these days. And right now, the twins are both ready to blast Hope to the other side of the wall if she keeps trying to get them out of bed.

The Gemini siphons flinch simultaneously when Hope uses magic to flood the room with blinding light. When the tribrid sees Josie fully upright in her own bed, she continues, “We have to go. _Now_.” The end of her order is punctuated with such a measured cadence that the twins snap to attention.

The night is quiet as the three of them file out of the twins’ bedroom. Hope leads the way and shuts down any of the twins’ questions about their mysterious venture. The rest of the school is still. It is the middle of the night after all. The silence and stillness of their surrounding is a great contrast to their hushed whispers and frantic movements.

“Hope,” the brunette whisper-yells out, “Slow down.”

“Yeah, not all of us have the same vamp-wolf super speed that you do,” Lizzie joins in with an eye-roll.

Despite their protests, the twins follow the older girl in haste. Josie’s eyebrows furrowed in more confusion when Hope leads them through the halls, out of the building, and into the woods. The woods have always looked ominous. It’s a part of the reason why humans never randomly ventured through the woods and into the school. But however threatening the woods looked during the day, tonight, it feels even more menacing than usual. The danger of the woods is punctuated more profoundly by the fact that it’s a full blood moon night and a third of the school’s population is wolfing out around them. She can hear their howls off in the distance and while she knows the wolves would never hurt them, she can’t help but feel the unspoken danger of the night.

“Hope—“ the brunette starts.

“Trust me,” the tribrid interrupts as she pauses to turn and look at the brunette in the eye. The resolve in her eyes was convincing enough for the other girl to let it go once again.

As they travel deeper into the woods, Josie can see a circular clearing in the distance. She can make out a group of people—witches, by the looks of it—preparing a ritual circle on the ground. A few of the witches are spreading out to light candles on the outer rim of the ring. The brunette has never seen a ritual circle so intricate. Spells usually dictate just one circle of candles, but the preparation she sees before them consists of a band of salt encased by a larger ring of candles and a purplish glow of energy forming a sort of dome around the entire space. As she scans the ritual preparations, Josie spots a shadow of a woman in the center of the activity directing the others on where to go and what to do. The woman seems to be taking meticulous care into each detail of the ritual circle, getting one of the witches to shift candles around until they are perfectly symmetrical to one another. The woman must be the coven’s leader judging by how the witches wordlessly obey her, not a soul daring to question her extreme particularities with the arrangements.

Before she can make out exactly who the group of witches are, she’s suddenly enveloped in a hug along with her sister, the grip suffocatingly tight yet so familiarly warm…

“Mom?!?” Lizzie is the first to react, pulling back from the hug with a startled expression.

“Hi girls,” the matriarch greets, the edges of her eyes crinkling as she looks back and forth between the two of them, a mix of happiness and guilt dancing in her eyes. Truth is, Caroline Forbes struggles with her guilt daily. From the moment the twins were born, she was burdened by the weight of their eventual fate as each other’s undoing. For the better part of the past 20 years, she searched endlessly for the solution to The Merge. She has sacrificed years of watching her daughters grow up, of being there to comfort them in their lowest moments and rejoicing with them in their highest joys. She has sacrificed all that in the belief that her time was better spent saving their lives, to make sure that they can continue to live their mortal lives to the fullest extent.

She has long since come to terms with her choices. But in moments like these, when her daughters are back in her arms, left hand cradling Josie’s face while the right strokes Lizzie’s hair, she regrets all the moments she’s missed. Scanning both of her girls’ faces, she is truly taken back by how much they have grown since she saw them nearly a year ago for Christmas.

“Not that we’re not happy to see you, but what’s happening?” Josie asked, the skeptic in her out in full force. She nods her heads towards the group of witches before them, finishing the last of the preparations and huddling in a group to the side where Hope and Alaric are speaking to them.

“Yeah, what’s my girlfriend doing with a group of Harry Potter wannabes?” Lizzie scoffs, gesturing to the group’s long brown robes and bell sleeves. Now that Josie thinks about it, she supposes the resemblance _is_ uncanny.

“Lizzie…Josie…” Caroline begins, already holding her breath at the barrage of questions her explanation is bound to gather. After all, she heard the twin’s incessant interrogation of Hope on their way here.

“That is the Vitulus Coven. They’re the last descendants of the Virgos, the ones responsible for putting the curse on the Geminis.”

The twins glance up at their mother at the revelation with matching startled expressions.

“Does that mean…?”

“We’ve found a way to stop The Merge,” Caroline confirms, turning to guide the twins towards the ritual circle at the center of the clearing where the rest of the witches are gathered.

Lizzie’s eyes dart immediately to Hope’s, relief evident in her eyes. The redhead immediately speeds to her side and holds the blonde’s hand safely in hers. The action brings a smile to Caroline’s face. She considers it some sort of karmic justice that her daughter would end up with Klaus’s daughter. The irony of it all…

As soon as the thought entered her mind, her eyes search out familiar brown orbs of the stubborn siphon by her side, pulling her still-startled daughter closer towards her. Despite not being around, Caroline’s not blind to the ache inside her daughter’s heart. She is very much aware of exactly how much effort Josie has put in to extinguish said pain. If they’re successful, tonight might help ease the hurt inside the brunette’s heart—in more ways than one.

“Is that why the coven’s here? To undo the spell?” Josie inquires, her eyes widening in hopefulness as she gazes up at the matriarch. A part of her is a little dubious of a random coven showing up to rescue her and her sister out of their ineludible curse.

“Not exactly…” Hope starts, the hesitance in her voice drawing the twin’s eyes towards her.

“There’s no way to lift the curse per se. Only to…circumvent it,” Caroline adds, flashing one of her overly enthusiastic smile towards the increasingly suspicious girls before her.

The matriarch then turns to the remaining witch kneeling at the center of the circle, the one Josie assumed to be the coven’s leader.

“Do you want to take it from here?”

The hood of her robe had until then obscured her face, but as the witch turns around and the hood falls back, Josie’s blood runs cold.

“Hey, Jojo,” the raven haired witch whispers, the corners of her mouth curling up in a hesitant smile.

_Penelope Park._ The girl whose face, despite her most ardent attempts, Josie still sees in her dreams. She can’t help but to stare at the woman before her. The short lob Penelope sported when they last saw each other has now lengthened well past her shoulders. The sparkle in her eyes that once shone with mischief now darkened with exhaustion. It’s punctuated further by the the only real physical change to her face, a slight scar running across the edge of Penelope’s left eyebrow. The faded mark coming to an end just above her eyelids. Josie’s heart clenches at the thought of what the girl did to receive it. On instinct, a rush of protectiveness courses through her and just as quickly in response, her brain snapped her right out of her Penelope-induced trance.

“What is _she_ doing here?” Josie grits out, her voice hard as steel. The hands balling into fists by her side. 

The tension in the space immediately thickens. As the brunette stares down her runaway ex, the rest of the group subconsciously steps back in case the siphon decides to _ignalusa_ her way to an answer. Penelope, to her credit, takes Josie’s glare head-on. She seems more occupied with refamiliarizing herself with the lines of the brunette’s face than to register the wrath being channeled her way. The Park witch only breaks her stare when Caroline decides to intervene.

“Honey,” the matriarch starts, pulling the feisty brunette closer to herself, “Penelope is here to help. She’s the one who came up with the idea of bypassing the Merge.”

The brunette’s brain damn-near short circuited at her mother’s words. All these years, Josie assumed that her ex had forgotten about her, that after jetting off to Belgium, she left the idea of the Merge behind and resigned herself to letting the chips fall where they may. Now having her first love sudden reappear with a solution in-hand, Josie’s brain can’t quite comprehend the situation before her. _Penelope’s here to help…Penelope’s idea…Penelope…?_

“Her idea?” The blond siphon perks up, “You expect me to entrust my life to… _Satan’s_ grand plan?”

Rolling her eyes Lizzie’s dramatics, the raven haired witch says the only thing she knows would shut Lizzie up. After all, time is of the essence. They only had a few more minutes before the blood moon reaches its apex.

“Hope and I came up with it together. So if you don’t want to trust me, at least trust your girlfriend.” 

Lizzie’s eyes snapped to the tribrid’s only to receive a reassuring nod in return. She knows Hope would never put her life in jeopardy, but the idea of her girlfriend and her sister’s ex cooking something up in secret annoys her to no end. They’ll definitely have a talk about that later… _if_ they make it out of this.

To put all hesitance to rest, Caroline backs the witch’s assertion. “There’s no one your father and I trust more on this than Penelope and Hope. We’ve done all the looking that we can and this is the only way.”

“So how does this work?” Josie whispers, entering back into the conversation, her demeanor considerably more subdued than before having caged her rebellious emotions for the time being.

The group revert their eyes to the Park witch. Penelope in turn locks her eyes onto Josie’s and recounts the origin of the curse that’s been haunting the Geminis.

“In every book and grimoire I’ve ever searched, the key to the Merge rests on when it comes into effect—“

“—one of us dies at 22. We get it, Satan,” Lizzie interrupts with an eye-roll, the commentary earning her a drawn out, ‘Lizzie…” from an exasperated Caroline.

Penelope quirks her eyebrow up in challenge, a silent _Can I continue now?_ directed to her former nemesis.

When she receives a huff in return, she continues, “As I was saying, no one has ever considered what happens past 22 because no one has ever made it past the Merge. So I decided to look further into how the Virgos came to that timing. It all goes back to the ascension ritual the Geminis initiated. It’s essentially a version of the Merge. When a pair of Gemini twins from a leading family are of age, they undergo a ritual binding themselves to each other. The twin bond allows the pair to amplify their power, making them virtually unstoppable as the coven’s co-leaders.”

“Wait, our coven used to have 2 leaders?” Josie questions, uncertain eyes meeting bright green orbs.

Penelope nods, continuing, “The Geminis thrived under the original Merge. The coven grew in size faster than any other. Eventually, their potential became a target on their backs. The Virgos, most of all, became extremely paranoid. They were convinced that the power the Geminis gained would corrupt their peaceful nature and turn them into a conquering coven. So they twisted the Gemini’s Merge into the cursed Merge we’re stuck with today.”

“You’re telling me the descendants of _those_ fashion outlaws are responsible for one of us potentially kicking the bucket?” Lizzie reacts, arms failing about in the general direction of the gathered witches before them.

When the blond takes a step towards the Vitulus clan, Caroline, ever the vigilant peacemaker, places a hand on her daughter’s shoulder. The vampire’s firm grip is a clear sign for the young siphon to back down. Lucky for everyone, she heeds Caroline’s silent warning, stepping back with her arms crossed and a frown to match. On instinct, the fuming blonde leans back into Hope for support, the tribrid immediately wrapping her arms around her girlfriend’s waist.

The corners of Penelope’s mouth quirks up in slight amusement as she observes Lizzie and Hope. Who knew the feisty blond’s temperaments could be so quickly quelled by the tiny tribrid beside her. It reminds her of another siphon whose occasional bouts of… _fiery_ temper Penelope has had to douse. When the raven-haired witch spares a glance towards said siphon, Josie’s eyes are already on her. It’s as if the brunette could read her ex’s thoughts. But she doesn’t dare try to pick apart what it means.

“How do we fix it then?” The brunette spoke up. “How do we circumvent the curse?” She asked again, drawing attention away from Lizzie’s outburst and keeping the group firmly focused on the task at hand.

Penelope lays out their game plan.

“The Virgos had unknowingly created a few loopholes when they twisted the original

Merge. The effects of the Merge only come into play at 22. We know that the curse is passed on through the bloodline but all witch bloodlines carry with it a magical signature. All we need to do is mask Josie and Lizzie’s individual magical signature until you both turn 23. No Gemini signature means the curse can’t be triggered. To do that, we need to do our own version of the Merge. Hope will bind herself to Lizzie. Her tribrid signature is unique enough to cover you, Malibu Barbie. As for me, I’ll bind myself to Josie. After you both turn 23, Hope and I can unbind ourselves and your powers will be yours again.”

Josie could hardly believe her ears. The plan was absolutely ingenious. The Virgos had twisted the Geminis’ most revered ritual into their most feared curse and Penelope manipulated it back into their saving grace. There was only one little hiccup.

“You’re binding yourself to… _me_?” Josie inquires the Park witch, all trace of reservations evident in her voice.

“You need a potent magical signature—”

“We literally have a coven full of Virgo descendants,” the brunette attempts.

“We need them to perform the binding spell for us. Their own magical signature is needed to alter the curse. Think of it like an organ transplant. If the blood cells aren’t compatible, the body will reject the procedure.”

“What about any number of witches at Salvatore?”

“You and I are descendants of the original covens. You know none of our students come from the The Twelve. My magical signature is the only one distinctive enough to camouflage yours.”

“Well, how about—“

“ _Jojo_ ,” the nickname ringing in the brunette’s ears, “We don’t have time to argue. We need the blood moon to complete the ritual and it’s about to pass its highest point. There won’t be another blood moon for 2 years. By then, you’ll be just shy of 24. It’ll be too late. _I’m sorry_ it has to be me, but this is our only shot.”

The siphon stares into the her former lover’s eyes as bright green orbs stare back at her in equal parts resolve and plea. There were so many questions to ask, so many things left unsaid between the two of them. But as Josie searches those familiar pairs of eyes, she found an emotion she’s tried so hard to bury when it comes to Penelope: trust.

“Okay,” the brunette softly relents, “Lead the way”

Penelope nods, sending a small smile towards the siphon. _Thank you for trusting me._

The brunette then reaches for her twin, the blond responding by encasing Josie’s hand in both of hers. Merge or no Merge, they were in this together. Caroline and Alaric steps forward to wrap both of their daughters in an embrace, each placing a tender kiss on each of the twins’ foreheads. They need this to work. Decades of searching has culminated in this moment. Their daughters’ lives are out of their hands now. Then the pair breaks away, leaving the siphons walk into the ritual circle with Penelope and Hope.

The four sit on each point of the circle. The ground cold and damp beneath them. Josie and Penelope situates across from each other, Lizzie and Hope doing the same. The latter pair stretches their arms, their hands effortlessly grasping each other’s. Penelope reaches her own arms out, both open palms awaiting their counterparts. Josie takes a breath before placing her hands in Penelope’s.

Their first contact in years sends electricity coursing through their bodies. It’s static, Josie tells herself. No big deal.

Penelope turns back to the witches gathered in a circle behind them. When she send one of them a firm nod, the chanting begins. The four closes their eyes and allows the spell to overtake them. Within a few seconds, an intense cerulean light glows from where the pairs’ hands are joined. An almost uncomfortable heat follows from where the blinding light originates. The ferocity of the heat nearly prompting the twins to pulls their hands away. But as soon as Josie fidgets, Penelope grips tighter, her thumb gently stroking the brunette’s hands in reassurance. _Hang on_.

Before long, the brunette can feel the familiar course of Penelope’s powers running through her veins. This version of the Merge feels all too similar. Of course, she has siphoned from the girl in the past, in dangerous and _recreational_ circumstances alike. Each time had sent an addicting sense of exhilaration through her. But the realities of being a siphon meant that the high faded as soon as the power was gone. This time, things feel different. She can feel Penelope’s magic making a home in her veins. She can feel it traveling through her body and latching on. In turn, she feels a part of herself leaving her, running straight from her core into where their hands remain joined and settling into Penelope’s own veins. Josie is Penelope’s power source and vice versa. The brunette’s starting to understand why the original Merge made the Geminis so feared. She feels practically invincible.

As the chanting fades to an end and the azure lights dimming in accordance, the four open their eyes. Lizzie and Hope beam at each other, a reassuring nod to the success of the ritual. Then brown eyes seek out green, Penelope and Josie’s connection—magical and otherwise—humming between them. She’s bound to the Park witch. Her intrepid ex is bound to her.

Shit, what is she gonna tell her girlfriend?


	2. The Cheese Puff Police

Breakfast at the Salvatore School is an extravagant affair. It might even give The Four Seasons’ buffet spread a run for their money. The choices were almost limitless. The witches prefer to peruse from the wide selection of pastries and occasionally, the new omelette station that the Council had campaigned for. The wolves are rather partial to congregating around the smorgasbord of roasted meats and whatever carbs they can get their hands on. As for the vampires, well, their Council representative had won a new floor-to-ceiling fridge filled with an abundance of animal blood. And while all the food in the cafeteria are accessible to everyone, no one ever had to worry about the vamps’ blood supply running out.

By 8am, most of the students are up and about, quickly filling the cafeteria with excitable conversations and of course, the day’s gossip. Unfortunately for Josie, the morning’s whispers amongst Salvatore’s older students are of a certain raven-haired temptress who secretly made her return the night before. She notices a few witches from the corner of her eyes, their fervent nosiness growing with each passing second. Sighing for the umpteenth time that morning, Josie reverts her eyes back to the increasingly frigid eggs infront of her.

“Babe.”

The term of affection snaps the siphon out of her inner musings.

“Are you ok?” Mia asked, her slightly concerned face coming into Josie’s view.

The brunette has been dating Mia a little over a year. It’s not her first relationship after Penelope, but it has been one that lasted the longest. The wolf entered into Salvatore a few weeks after the school officially got its license to teach university classes. Salvatore was a safe place—a place where the supernatural community could be themselves and explore their powers. That exploration doesn’t stop at 18. So, with a cashed in favor here and a compulsion or two there, Salvatore expanded into an institution of high learning for the supernatural.

Mia caught the brunette’s eye right off the bat. Her quick-witted humor, tenacity, and her unapologetic penchant of wearing her heart on her sleeve reminded Josie of a certain someone, someone she didn’t think she’d ever see again. The wolf became Josie’s safe place—or at least, that’s what she tells herself.

“Yeah, I’m good,” the brunette assures the girl next to her, smiling into her sapphire eyes.

Unconvinced, the blond presses further, “You sure? Breakfast is your favorite meal and you’ve been pushing food around your plate for the past 15 minutes.”

Busted. “I didn’t get a lot of sleep last night,” the brunette explains, “Sorry I keep zoning out on you.” Josie adds, rubbing her hands on her girlfriend’s knee in apology.

“Oh, you should have said so! We could have totally rescheduled breakfast, babe. Sleep’s important,” Mia gently chides.

The siphon rolls her eyes, reaching out to squeeze Mia’s cheeks in retaliation, “Sorry, _mom_.”

“Want me to get you another one?” The wolf asks, pointing to the plate of un-eaten food infront of her girl. “I’ll eat these ice-cold eggs for you.”

The siphon smiles and Mia takes that as an affirmative, grabbing the plate and backing away with an exaggerated bow of a practiced maitre d’. The brunette chuckles in return. Her girlfriend is such a dork sometimes.

But as Mia turns her back, Josie takes the opportunity to discreetly scan the room once more. No sign of Penelope. A part of the siphon wonders where she might be. The last Josie saw of Penelope last night was the girl solemnly conversing with the Vitulus Coven before escorting the clan out of school grounds. Before she could ponder the questions any further, she’s startled by the sound of hands drumming excitedly on the table.

“Ah…good morning, Twinny!” Lizzie sing-songs, bringing the brunette into a tight side-hug. Hope plops down beside her too, shooting Josie an equally peppy good morning smile.

“Morning, guys,” Josie chuckles in amusement. It’s nice to see at least one of them got some sleep last night. “You’re up late for breakfast,” she observes.

“Oh, we’ve already eaten,” Lizzie smirks, turning back to beam at Hope, who shares a lovesick grin in return.

“Eww! I don’t need to hear about you guys getting down and nasty this early in the morning,” Josie scrunches her face up in mock disgust.

“Get your mind out of the gutter,” Hope states, admonishingly bumping her shoulder into Lizzie’s for mentally scarring her twin. “I took Lizzie out for an early breakfast in town.”

To the untrained eye, nothing was ever amiss between the trio. Josie focused on school, Lizzie on planning events, and Hope on honing her powers. But behind closed doors, the three were terribly anxious. Late night talks turned into desperate researches, pouring over pages upon pages of ancient grimoires. They would never admit it, but they were losing hope, increasingly tempted to accept their inevitable fate. But now, with the threat of the Merge neutralized, they’re all free to breathe a little easier—all but Josie, who has her own predicament to deal with.

The brunette barely realized Mia had returned to the table until she feels an arm snaking around her waist. The wolf plops a steaming plate of eggs infront of her and the siphon gifts the girl with a brief peck on the lips as a thank you. She supposes she owes the girl a few bites, considering how long the line at the omelette station has gotten.

“ _Guys! Guys!_ ” MG rushes over to the table, setting his cereal down with such force that a bit of milk sloshed over the bowl. “Oops, I’ll get that later. Have you heard?” The vampire inquires, breathing heavily from undoubtedly running around the school in search of them. Despite being a vampire, physical prowess has never been MG’s strong suit.

“Heard what?” Mia plays along, mildly amused at the vampire’s antics.

“Peez is back!” MG excitedly announces, grinning from ear to ear. The vampire’s so excited to have his best friend back that he momentarily forgot Mia’s lack of history about the raven-haired witch.

“Peez?”

“Penelope.”

“Penelope as in Park?” Mia asked, directing the question towards the table at large. Ever since she became a part of Salvatore, stories of the former head witch in charge has floated around the school. Even amongst her pack, Penelope’s name still comes up now and again. Hearing that Penelope’s back is akin to an opportunity to meet a legend in the flesh. The wolf is intrigued to say the least, especially being vaguely aware of Josie’s past connection to the girl.

Josie schools her facial expression, she hasn’t decided what to say to her girlfriend about last night. How does one go about telling their current girlfriend that they’re magically connected to their ex-girlfriend? No, it’s a Pandora’s Box that Josie’s not quite ready to open.

Lucky for the silent brunette, Hope speaks up, “Penelope’s here on a special project for the Headmistress. So she’ll be staying at Salvatore for awhile.”

“Alright! The Avengers Squad is back! I can’t wait to catch up with her!” MG begins shoveling spoonfuls of cereal in his mouth, eager to go bother his old friend.

“Easy there, Iron Man,” Hope teases, “She’s back in her old room, but you can’t get to her if you choke on Cheerios first.”

Back in her own room? Josie’s surprised the raven-haired witch would want to stay in her old room. She half expected Penelope to stay as far away from that place as possible. The siphon herself certainly did. After staying in Penelope’s room the first few nights, Josie made the poignant decision to move on. So the siphon returned to her old room and spelled her ex’s dorm shut. No one had questioned the decision—not even Alaric, who would normally complain about a perfectly suitable single room going to waste.

Hope must have unlocked the spell on the room last night. That means Penelope would return to her old room exactly as she left it, albeit with a few extra tear stains on her pillow. Josie really hopes those have faded by now or that would be another thing on a list of explanations she doesn’t feel like giving at the moment.

Despite herself, her mind drifts into how they used to sneak into the kitchen after curfew. Penelope’s room was the furthest one away from the main hall. While it afforded the witch the privacy she so craved, it acted as an exasperating obstacle whenever they’d sneak into the kitchen.

_“Pen,” the siphon scolded, tiptoeing her way from the stove to put milk back into the fridge. “Don’t close the cabinet so loud. You’re gonna wake the wolves up.”_

_A carefree laughter rings out as Penelope moves behind Josie, holding the brunette’s waist in her hands. She places a soft kiss on the nape of Josie’s neck in apology. “Don’t worry, Jojo.” the witch whispered, “The wolves won’t wake up even if there’s an air horn is going off next to them.” As she speaks, the feeling of her breath in the siphon’s ear sends an army of goosebumps racing up the back of her neck. It’s a go-to move of Penelope’s, one she knows will make Josie weak in the knees. But two can play at that game._

_The brunette spins around in her lover’s arms, looping her own arms around Penelope’s neck. She goes to capture the green-eyed beauty’s lips in her own, a well-practiced dance between the two of them. Just as Penelope is getting lost in the kiss, she feels a warm sensation where their lips are attached and as quickly as she’s registering the feeling of being siphoned, Josie pulls away slightly._

_“Silentium,” she whispers, enveloping the room in a silencing spell, the action causing Penelope’s eyes to darken in response._

_Penelope absolutely loves it when Josie performs magic without an inch of hesitation, when she takes what she wants. The Park witch isn’t blind to the immense power and potential the brunette holds. And she revels in any chance she gets to see Josie’s confidence emerge, even if it’s to put Penelope in her place._

_Josie lets out a surprised squeak when Penelope tightens her hold, pressing the siphon back against the fridge’s cool aluminum doors, and kisses her breathless. As their tongues struggle for dominance, Josie decides that more than happy to let Penelope steal the very breaths from her lungs. The taste of Penelope’s lips is too addicting to stop._

_But the two are forced to pull apart when the hot chocolate they’ve left boiling bubbles over the pot, the heated liquid sizzling up the stovetop. They spring into action. Josie reaches out to turn the stove off while Penelope grabs the towels to mop up their mess. When the kitchen is once again spotless, the two share the remaining amount of hot chocolate in the pot. There was just enough to fill a mug-full, but it was the best hot chocolate Penelope had ever had._

_“Are we out of those cheese puffs you like?” Penelope asks, searching through unsorted piles of chips, chocolate, and candy to no avail._

_“Yes…” Josie starts, coming up behind Penelope to slide open a hidden back panel on the top shelf of the snacks cabinet. The secret compartment housed the brunette’s prized possession: the last bag of organic cheese puffs. “Or no…” the brunette reveals, sending a sheepish smile towards her girlfriend._

_Penelope lets out a disbelieving laugh, “Who knew your one selfish instinct would be saved for cheese puffs? Truly, Josette, I am proud.” The witch could barely breathe, the hilarity of the situation causing her to double over in laughter._

_“Don’t tease me,” Josie whines, slightly embarrassed that her girlfriend has discovered her Achilles heel, not even Lizzie knows how much she adores those cheesy snacks. “Or I’m not sharing!” Josie solidifies her threat by securing the bag of cheese puffs under her arms and rushing out the kitchen._

_“Jojo,” the raven-haired witch calls out amid her laughter, following her girlfriend out to the safety of her room, “I need to report you to the cheese puff police!”_

————

On the other side of the main hall, Caroline is settling back into her Headmistress Office. Her frequent trips abroad had left her office practically untouched. When the girls were little, they used to play in her office—Alaric’s was filled with far too many crossbows. It was a bit of a safety hazard. Looking around now, the vampire realized, the office could do with a bit of a makeover. It’d be a fun project for her and the girls to do together now that they have time. Maybe Penelope could even pitch in with a few ideas. Speaking of the devil…

“Catch!” The raven-haired witch calls out, tossing a blood bag in Caroline’s direction as she casually strolls into the office. “It’s B-negative, your favorite,” she adds with a smile.

The vampire catches the blood bag with practiced ease. They’ve done this a million times by now. Their little ritual had stemmed from an especially heated fight she had with the young witch early on in their partnership. The two had been arguing over whether or not to pursue a suspicious lead. Caroline figured it was too dangerous and forbade the daring witch from following up on it. Penelope, however, was adamant on following every lead possible and felt that the vampire was being far too cautious. Their argument ended with the witch’s outburst sending their blood bag supplies splattering across the hotel walls.

 _Thank god_ for a clean up spell.

Since then, to make light of their argument, Penelope throws her partner-in-crime a blood bag when she least expects it. Caroline supposes she should thank the witch for keeping her vampiric reflexes sharp.

As Caroline drinks, Penelope settles into a black leather chaise lounge at the corner of the room, a grimoire in hand. “There’s nothing in here,” she announces with a sigh, spinning the little book in her hands.

“You’ve finished that already?” Caroline asked, surprise clearly evident in her voice. The vampire had last night entrusted the Bennett grimoire to Penelope. There was one extra project they needed to accomplish together and time is of the essense. But not at the expense of the witch’s health, the mother in her won’t let that happen. “Did you even sleep last night?”

The stubborn witch shrugs in reply, leaning back onto the chair with her arms crossed behind her head. No, she didn’t sleep last night, but she didn’t need to verbalize what they both already know. Their missions have become an escape for Penelope. If her mind is focused on the task before them, she won’t be so tempted to muse about a certain doe-eyed siphon she now shares a roof with. It’s how she has survived these past few years, she supposes doing it a little while longer won’t hurt.

Unfortunately for Penelope, Caroline’s no fool. She knows exactly what the young witch is doing. After years together, the vampire is more than familiar with Penelope’s defense mechanisms than anyone.

“Have you talked to Josie yet?” The matriarch casually poses, tossing her empty blood bag in the trash.

Penelope stills, “No…”

“Why not?”

“Caroline…”

“Penelope…”

Sigh. It was too early in the morning for this. But after five years with the vampire, Penelope knows she won’t let it go.

“I just waltzed back into her life and bound myself to her,” she explained, “I’m lucky my hair hasn’t been singed off yet.”

The vampire chuckled, recalling the first time Penelope told her that story. Who knew her quiet daughter had such a scorching temper?

“We both know you’re not scared of a little fire, Penelope,” she calls the younger girl’s bluff. “What’s keeping you?”

The younger Park looks away, not wanting to expose her vulnerabilities more than she has to. “She’s finally happy,” she starts, referring to the brunette’s relationship, “I don’t want to ruin that for her.”

“I’m not suggesting breaking anyone up. I’m just proposing that you talk to her, that’s all,” Caroline shrugs. She’s not being a matchmaker, the matriarch tells herself. But if she’s honest, Penelope’s practically her third daughter already. “Why don’t you grab MG and hit the town?”

“I’m busy.”

“Doing what?”

“Researching _our thing_.”

“Penelope,” Caroline tries again, her voice this time taking on a distinct motherly tone, “Your every waking moment these past few years has been about saving Josie. We did it. They’re safe. Now take the day off.”

The raven-haired witch swings her legs down from the chaise lounge, pausing for a moment to consider the vampire’s words. She hasn’t had a day off in years. A part of her isn’t quite sure what to do with all this time. Maybe Caroline’s right. When she looks up at at the matriarch, her eyes turn teasing once more.

“I’ll think about it, Care Bear,” Penelope promises, her nickname for Caroline earning her an eye-roll in return. Self-care 101: annoying Caroline.

————

It’s been 24 hours since the weight of the Merge has been lifted off her shoulders. Yet, sleep remains just as elusive to the siphon as it had been before. She’s starting to feel guilty about her incessant tossing and turning. A few more minutes like this and Mia might wake up. Untangling herself from the blond’s arms, she gingerly makes her way towards the kitchen.

As she nears her destination, she notices a warm tingle in the back of her neck, the sensation running down to the base of her spine. She shrugs it off, hooking her hand behind her neck to rub the strange feeling away. When she rounds the last corner to enter the kitchen, she sees a silhouette standing infront of the open fridge door.

Penelope.

Before she even makes a sound, however, she notices Penelope straightening up. The raven-haired witch touches the back of her neck, a spot nearly identical to Josie’s own. Then she turns around, her face unsurprised to see the siphon.

There’s a few seconds of awkward silence, neither one knowing what to say or who should speak first. It’s the first time they’ve been alone together in years. Penelope supposes she should begin with something simple.

“Hi,” Penelope softly greets. She’s wearing a worn grey hoodie and black sweats—not exactly what she thought she’d be wearing when she sees Josie again.

“Hi,” Josie mirrors back shyly.

“Can’t sleep?” The witch asks, observing the brunette’s slightly tussled hair and wrinkled matching blue pajamas.

The brunette nods in response and Penelope accepts it. She doesn’t want to pry, has lost the right to pry years ago.

So the two go about their business in the kitchen. Penelope grabs saucepan, filling the pot up with water and some tea sachets. Josie once teased her that she drinks her tea like a British noblewoman. Penelope will admit, she does have a very specific preference for milk tea.

Beside her, Josie gets to work on what the witch guesses is Josie’s own version of a sleep aid: hot chocolate. They work in silence but are hyper-aware of what the other is doing. Even in their close proximity, their motions seem coordinated, like a pair of chefs who have cooked in the same kitchen for years. Just as Penelope is reaching for the milk, Josie wordlessly offers it to her. The raven-haired witch sends an appreciative smile her way.

They switch their stoves off at the same time, pouring the contents of their short labor into matching Salvatore mugs. Josie leans back on the counter next to the stove and Penelope mirrors her on the kitchen island. In an almost synchronized manner, both of them blow on the contents of their mugs before taking a careful sip.

“I didn’t see you at breakfast today,” Josie commented, a hint of a question hidden in her statement. She wanted to say that she noticed her missing at lunch too (and dinner), but she figured that would give off too much of an interrogatory vibe.

The Park witch smirks, “Were you looking for me, Jojo?” Her innocent teasing coupled by a well-timed sip of her tea.

Josie turns red immediately, sputtering, “N—no, no. MG was looking for you, I was just—”

Smiling widely at the brunette’s adorable rambling, Penelope finds an unexpected sense of joy from seeing how she can still fluster the siphon so easily. But as she spots the beginnings of a pout starting to form on Josie’s face, she decides to put the girl out of her misery, “I didn’t feel like mingling with the masses just yet. Plus, I was doing some research for the Vitulus.”

“The Vitulus?” Josie’s ears perked up at that, her mind immediately jumping to the tense conversation Penelope had with the coven members.

“Nothing to worry about,” the witch assures, already sensing the concern bubbling inside Josie. “Just some leftover debts that needed to be paid.”

The siphon nodded in understanding, accepting the vague answer for now. She knew from experience that pressing the witch for answers before she’s ready to give it only ends in disaster.

When Josie makes a move towards the snack cabinet, Penelope beats her to it, having been the one closer anyways. As the witch rummages through the still-horribly organized snack pile, Josie hears a familiar sound of her hidden compartment being slid open.

Penelope turns around then, presenting her with a bag of cheese puffs. She knows how much the girl loves eating the cheesy treat with her hot chocolate—an absolutely vile combination, one she has teased Josie about endlessly in the past but one she knows Josie still adores.

The brunette accepts her gift with a shy smile. She still remembers the way Penelope would make fun of her for her hiding place, but how Penelope would always make sure to re-stock it after they raid it. Josie is surprised the other girl still remembers where it is. To this day, Penelope is still the only one who knows about her cheese puff den.

Satisfied at seeing a smile on the brunette’s face, Penelope makes a move to leave.

“Penelope?”

“Hmm?” She turns unexpectedly.

There had been a question nagging at her all day. She can’t believe she almost let the day pass without getting an answer. “How did you get the Vitulus to help us?”

Penelope sighs. She’s not ready to tell Josie the full truth, would never want to burden the girl before her. But she promised herself she would never lie to Josie again. “That’s…another story for another day,” she settles on saying. Delaying the truth is the best she can do right now. “Goodnight, Jojo,” the witch whispered.

As Penelope disappears around the corner, Josie’s pout returns in full force.

So much for sleep tonight.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you guys so much for the kind words in the comments last chapter! They definitely motivated me to crank out chapter 2 sooner. Right now, I have the entire story planned out. It's gonna be around 6 or 7 chapters. Depending on what might pop up between now and then. Feel free to let me know what you guys want to see!


	3. Some Company Wouldn't Hurt

_Thump. Thump. Whack. Thump. Whack. Thump._

The sound of impacting long sticks becomes clearer as Penelope nears the edge of the dock. If anyone was up training at the crack of dawn, she knows it’d be Hope. She supposes being the only tribrid in the world—one bearing the MIkaelson name at that—brings with it unimaginable dangers. Caroline had told her stories of Hope’s childhood throughout the years. If the Park witch had to guess, no child other than the tribrid has ever been so vehemently hunted.

As she nears the clearing to the lake, Penelope is surprised to see _two_ Hopes attacking each other in earnest. It seems one of the Hopes is gaining an upper hand. As that version of Hope swings the long stick clear through Fake Hope’s head, the rest of her hologram-like body slowly dissipates. Hope slams her staff to the floor, leaning on it for support as she wipes the trail of sweat from her face.

“Nice move,” Penelope commented, throwing a water bottle towards the winded girl before her.

“Wanna join Round Two?” Hope offered, sucking in a lungful of air in preparation. Sparring alone was getting too boring anyways.

When she was at Salvatore, training for fights was the last thing on Penelope’s mind. She much preferred exercising her prowess through mental and magical means. But years of trotting the world looking for the cure had taught her a thing or two about fighting.

Penelope summons the staff to her hand. “Show me what you got, Mikaelson,” the witch smirks, readying herself in a fighting stance. “But none of that tribrid mojo!”

“Normal magic?” The redhead proposes instead, interested to see just how much Penelope has progressed since they last fought zombies together. If the scar on the witch’s face is anything to go by, Hopes knows not to underestimate her new sparring partner too much.

“Fuck, yeah,” Penelope returns, twirling the long stick expertly in her hands.

Circling each other for a few seconds, Hope jumps to strikes first. The initial contact of their weapons reverberates through Penelope’s hands as she blocks the blow. The pair fails to land any substantial blows, both being agile and lightening-fast enough to duck and dodge every attack.

Then Penelope switches it up, sending a gust of wind towards Hope’s feet, successfully knocking her down on her back. But as the raven-haired witch moves in, Hope springs herself back up on her feet, using her own spell to freeze Penelope’s ankles in place, giving herself a few extra seconds to strategize. Penelope breaks the spell immediately, lunging towards her opponent. They throw spells upon spells at each other until Hope uses her wolf strength to backflip over Penelope, landing behind her and wrapping the witch in a headlock.

“Cheater,” Penelope squeaks out, her windpipe’s access to air lessening by the second.

_Tap. Tap. Tap._

Hope immediately lets go and a rush of air flows back into Penelope. The witch then turns around, sending an accusatory squint at the redhead. So much for witch-only powers.

The tribrid shrugs, a mischievous glint in her eyes, “Wolves are magical beings. It counts.”

“Whatever, Mikaelson.” The witch reaches for Hope’s water bottle and downs its contents. “You’re just scared you were actually going to lose to me.”

“Not a chance. Anyways, who taught you?” Hope inquired, snatching her water bottle back before Penelope drinks it all in revenge.

A dark glint passes the witch’s eyes. “Caroline,” Penelope explains before adding, “Out of necessity more than anything else.”

Hope nods in understanding. Sensing the change in her companion’s eyes, the redhead decides on a change of topic. “So what has you up so early?”

“I could ask you the same thing. Shouldn’t you be cuddling Blondie right now?” Penelope teases.

“Lizzie likes to sleep in late,” Hope shrugs nonchalantly.

Penelope sends an uninterested hum in response, looking out to the lake infront of them.

“What’s on your mind?” Hope tries. She has never been close to Penelope, but after what they’ve been through, Hope has gained an immense amount of respect for her.

“Why do you think there’s something on my mind?” The witch counters.

“Why else would you come see me this early?”

“Who says I came down here to see you? I could be wanting fresh air or something.” Penelope internally cringes, even that reason sounds fake to her.

“Suit yourself,” Hope relents, getting up and brushing herself off.

Penelope sighs, “Ok, maybe there is this _tiny_ little thing.”

The redhead quirks her eyebrows in response, an indication for the witch to continue.

“Since the ritual, have you felt anything…different?” Penelope asks, a part of her isn’t quite sure she wants to know the answer.

“Hmm,” Hope inches her head to the side trying to think of anything that’s been amiss. “Not really, I mean other than the fact that I can sense when Lizzie’s getting hungry. But I’m guessing that’s not ritual-related.”

Penelope laughs. “No, Mikaelson. That’s definitely not ritual-related.”

“What have you been feeling?” Hope asks in return.

“It’s like I can sense when she’s near,” Penelope describes. There’s no need to elaborate on who the witch is referring to. “There’s this…pins and needles feeling on the side on my neck.” The raven-haired witch lifts her hand to the spot as she speaks, as if touching the spot one more time will magically give her the answer. She’s had a hunch for awhile now, how goosebumps would rise on her skin just before she spots the brunette. She noticed the way those strange feelings seem to grow stronger when it’s just the two of them. But then again, the world has always seemed different when they’re the only ones in the room.

“I’ll look into it,” Hope volunteers. The tribrid has ever heard of any side effects like this from a binding spell before. Maybe Freya will be able to shine some light on it. “But are you sure that it’s not just your oh-so obvious pining manifesting into physical symptoms?”

“Oh shut it, Mikaelson!”

A strong blast of wind from Penelope’s palm sends Hope careening back a few feet, far enough for her to almost fall off the edge of the dock. Hope continues to laugh, unrepentant at what she thought was a perfectly accurate jibe. It doesn’t take a genius to notice how, despite being mere rooms away from each other, Josie and Penelope never seem to occupy the same space for more than a few seconds.

Suddenly, Caroline appears infront of them, her vampire speed resulting in a light breeze.

“Sorry to butt in, girls,” she addresses them both with a genuine smile. It’s nice to see Penelope and Hope having a good time, even if it is them playfully antagonizing each other. She almost feels bad interrupting them. Turning towards Penelope, her voice becomes a touch more serious, “I need your help with something.”

Penelope raises to her feet without another question, a reaction Hope noted with interest. It’s clear that Penelope has become Caroline’s go-to person to sort out an issue. She wonders what it is that requires such urgent attention from the pair.

The raven-haired witch turns say a brief goodbye to the tribrid before following Caroline deeper into the forrest. When they’re sure they’re safe from prying ears, Penelope gets down to business. “What’s going on, Caroline?”

“I think we might need to speed up our little project for the Vitulus. They’re getting a bit…impatient.”

Penelope furrows her eyebrows. “DMV impatient or slow drive-thru impatient?”

Caroline tugs the sleeve of her jacket up to reveal a raised patch of angry red imprint on the inside of her wrist. The mark of the Virgo constellation burns its way onto the vampire’s previously unblemished skin. A touch too dramatic, Penelope thinks, but either way, the point is made.

“Oh..kay…the former then,” Penelope decides, bringing Caroline’s arm closer to inspect it. The mark has inflamed the skin so thoroughly that even the area around it bears a purplish hue.

“Please, like you know what the inside of a DMV looks like,” the vampire jokes. 

“Netflix,” Penelope retorts, letting go of Caroline’s arm. “Anyways, trying to destroy an indestructible amulet from the beginning of time isn’t exactly my speciality.” The witch sighs once more, massaging her temples in frustration.

“Ask Hope,” Caroline advises. If anyone has access to the kind of power and knowledge it’d take to destroy the sacred object, it’s the Mikaelsons. “Or the twins. They migh—”

“Not the twins,” Penelope cuts in. “If they’re daring enough to go after you, they’ll go after anyone involved. I don’t want Josie getting hurt.”

“Well, whatever you decide, do it quickly. We don’t want to wait around for their next move.”

“I’ll talk to Hope,” Penelope promises, heading back towards the dock with renewed purpose.

————

Josie’s whole zoning out thing is becoming more frequent these days. It’s not like she hasn’t tried to stay in the moment, to be present for her new lease on life. But every time she tries, some gravitational force lulls her mind back to a certain pair of emerald eyes.

It’s been weeks since she saw Penelope in the kitchen. Well, that’s a lie. The siphon had gotten brief glimpses of her ex throughout campus, saw her coming in and out of her mom’s office, observed her going into the library at random hours of the day, even caught her sneaking out of campus gates late at night. In none of those instances did Josie approach her. They hadn’t even made eye contact since that night.

Unfortunately, their lack of interaction has the disruptive side effect of making Josie’s mind latch onto that rare moment between them. She remembers how soft Penelope’s eyes were, how effortlessly they existed in each other’s proximity, how the slightest tease from the witch could send blood rushing up to her face. She forgot how easy it was to just _be_ with Penelope and the thought never fails to fill Josie with a flood of guilt. For obvious reasons. She just really wishes Lizzie wouldn’t be drilling her on it right now.

“What do you mean you haven’t told her?” The blond balks, pushing her latte aside to lean into her twin.

“You know what I mean,” Josie softly retorts, cupping her coffee closer to herself.

Years ago, twins had agreed that the Merge would be kept strictly between them. There was no need, they figured, to drag anyone else into their cursed mess—especially with no cure in sight. Josie knew firsthand what that knowledge did to someone she loved and she wasn’t keen on history repeating itself.

Truth be told, she hadn’t expected her relationship with Mia to last this long. A part of her was hoping she’d never have to break the news of the Merge to the wolf. Never in a million years did Josie think she’d have to explain her unconventional magical arrangement to her girlfriend.

It’s not that Josie likes keeping secrets from Mia. The Merge itself is a lot to take in, not even taking into account Penelope’s role in the situation. Like it or not, the raven-haired witch has always been a looming, unspoken shadow in their relationship. She doesn’t need this situation to shine a brighter light on that fact.

“Are you going to?” Lizzie presses again, sensing the discomfort her twin is in, but too curious to let up just yet.

Silence. Josie averts her eyes.

“She’ll find out eventually,” the blond reasons, “I’m no relationship guru, but with Penelope back and you off in dreamland every two seconds, she’s gonna know something’s up with you two .”

“Well, nothing’s going to happen between Penelope and I,” Josie defends, crossing her arms indignantly. “And I don’t see the point in worrying Mia when there’s nothing to worry about.”

“I don’t know, Jo…This seems like a bad idea.”

Before Josie can build her case, a repetitive buzz sounds from her phone. “It’s Mia,” she explains, getting up to leave. “I’ll see you later?” The brunette knows her twin is nowhere near close to dropping this conversation. But for now, she’s glad for the reprieve.

Lizzie nods, giving Josie a slight wave before turning her attention back to her own phone. Hope’s gotta hear about this.

————

If anyone had told 15 year old Penelope that stargazing would bring her comfort, she’d laugh in their face. But lo and behold, here she is doing just that. 

It all started during a mission gone wrong in the south of France. Penelope and Caroline had been given a lead about a secluded coven hidden away near the forrest of Marseille. The coven was believed to be associated with the early Geminis and Penelope jumped at the chance to find out more about them. As it turns out, showing up unannounced to a notoriously reserved coven’s territory was not their brightest idea. The two were instantly separated, the coven’s idea of magical divide and conquer. Then the attacks began…

_Penelope’s lungs feel like they’re burning as she sprints through the forrest. The night is pitch black and what little light the crescent moon provides is obscured by an enchantment that protected the territory. She can hear footfalls thundering after her off in the distance, can hear them getting closer. The dried leaves of the forrest floor give off tattletale crunches beneath her as she navigates herself behind a large tree, pausing for a moment to get her bearings._

_Just as she pokes her head round to see her assailants, an invisible force hoists her up in the air and slams her back down on the ground face-first. Every pain receptor in Penelope’s body howls in protest. Every twitch of her muscles feel like rubbing up on shards of glass. As Penelope rolls over onto her back, she registers a warm, sticky substance running down the left side of her face. It’s surprising that she can even feel the bloody trail considering how her head throbs in agony. She knows she’s a few seconds away from unconsciousness._

_Her impulses tell her to close her eyes, but the sky above her catches her attention. Ironically, absence of the moon makes the stars shine even brighter. The cluster of stars shining brightest just so happens to be the Gemini constellation. Penelope smiles to herself. Her mind drifts a certain doe-eyed Gemini. Her consciousness clings to Josie’s toothy smile and the sound of her melodic laughter. As she succumbs to the darkness, Penelope doesn’t feel any fear. She feels comforted, because under the dim light of the stars, Josie’s with her and the oblivion doesn’t feel so sinister._

When she came to, Penelope was met with Caroline’s concerned eyes and bloody clothes. It took her another few seconds to deduce that the blood most likely came from her. Caroline’s blood had healed her injuries, all but one. It seemed that the coven wanted to leave a parting gift, a _friendly_ reminder to never trespass their territory again. Penelope was the lucky recipient of that mark, the scar she now bears near her left eye. But the incident imparted another impression upon the young witch: stars.

Since that night, the skies became Penelope’s safety blanket. She’d find herself looking up at them whenever something was wrong, her eyes scanning the skies before landing on one particular constellation. Tonight, however, her eyes are drawn to the Virgo formation, her current dilemma ever-present on her mind.

Just as Penelope rips her eyes away from the wicked constellation, she hears the door of the roof opening. She doesn’t need to guess to know who it is.

“I had a feeling you’d be here,” Josie states softly, wedging herself between the opening of the door.

Penelope grins, “Funny, so did I.”

“Do you want to be left alone?”

Penelope’s heart aches at the question. Her first instinct is to say yes. It’s not a good idea for her to be around Josie. The mere taste of it a few weeks ago left her like an addict going through withdrawal. She’s trying her hardest to stay away, to not ruin Josie’s happiness. But she’s trying something new this time: letting Josie choose for herself. 

“I’ve been alone far too much,” Penelope admits, “Some company wouldn’t hurt.”

Penelope’s openness surprises the siphon. “I can call for Hope and Lizzie,” Josie offers, a teasing smile on her face.

Penelope gasps in mocked horror, “Don’t you dare.”

When Josie’s laughter subsides, Penelope tilts her head towards the space besides her, a silent invitation for the brunette to join her. They stand side by side in silence for a few minutes, enjoying the cool breeze of the night as they gaze out onto the campus below. The night seems still, but if they listen hard enough they can just make out the faint sound of music drifting through the air. If Penelope had to guess, it’s probably from some party at the Old Mill. Penelope chuckles.

“What’s so funny?” Josie asks, enjoying the way the witch’s mouth curve up in a soft smile. 

“Do you hear that?”

“The music?”

Penelope nods, a faraway look in her eyes. “Back in our day, at least the witches had the foresight to cast a silencing spell before getting lit.”

The siphon hums in agreement. The silencing spells were more for the people of Mystic Falls rather than the adults at Salvatore. No one wanted a human to hear music in the woods and come stumbling into a party full of supernaturals. As for Alaric, he always knew what the students were up to, and while underaged drinking was frowned upon, he’d always let everyone have their bit of fun before sending someone to break it up. A semi-controlled party in the woods was better than unsupervised ragers out on the town.

“Things were simpler back then, weren’t they?” Josie brings up.

“Problems were smaller back then,” Penelope adds, thinking back to a time when her biggest problem was what she was going to wear on a date night with Josie. What Penelope wouldn’t give to have that be her biggest problem again.

“Don’t you wish you could just dump your problems into a different world?” The siphon poses, imagining an all-consuming black hole that engulfs all her troubles.

The raven-haired witch chuckles at the imagery.

Then she abruptly stops, turning to face Josie with a disbelieving beam. “Jojo, you’re a _genius_!”

In her elation, Penelope acts on instinct, rushing forward to envelop the siphon in her arms. Josie is completely floored by the turn of events, but finds herself lifting her own arms up to return the embrace. The last time they were wrapped in each other’s arms, thes circumstances were much more grim. Penelope was leaving Salvatore, and Josie didn’t even fully understand the Merge. So much has changed since then, but so much has stayed the same. Penelope still smells the same, a subtle scent of sandalwood and vanilla, she’s still as warm against Josie’s skin, and their bodies still mold into each other as effortlessly as ever.

But just as Josie is allowing herself to enjoy the hug, Penelope pulls away. “ _Shit_ , personal space. I’m sorry. I—I gotta go. I’ll explain later, but thank you!”

The raven-haired witch rushes out the door leaving Josie wondering what the hell just happened and most importantly, why she’s so disappointed the embrace ended.

————

The next morning, Josie wakes with a loud gasp, doubling over in agony. She feels like she’s being stabbed, the laceration etching itself deeper and deeper into her abdomen. Mia startles awake too, her eyes widening in fear at her girlfriend’s sudden pain. She winces again when the brunette lets out a strangled groan beside her.

“Josie?!? What’s wrong? Talk to me!” Mia frantically asks, helplessness crawling its way up her spine. 

Breathing through her pain, Josie goes to lift her shirt in an attempt to inspect the wound. But she finds nothing, not even a single scratch on her skin. A chill comes over her in realization. _Something’s wrong with Penelope._

The brunette tries to swing her legs off the bed and Mia is there in a second, holding onto Josie in case she falls. “Pen—Penelope. I need to see Penelope,” Josie wheezes out, her head getting lightheaded from the pain.

“What? Penelope? No, you’re in pain! You shouldn’t be going anywhere,” Mia asserts, putting more of Josie’s weight onto herself. The pain must be making her girlfriend mad. Why would her pain be at all related to that Park witch?

Just as Josie tries to reason with the girl again, Hope barges in, “Josie, it’s Pen—oh my god, you too?!” The tribrid rushes to take the siphon into her arms, mumbling a quick pain reduction spell, an orange glow emanating from Josie’s side in response. As the glow fades, the siphon draws a long breath, her lungs opening to welcome the influx of air.

“What’s going on?” Josie breathes out, the pain in her side still present, but much duller than a few minutes before.

Hope looks down at the siphon in her arms, her next words leaving no room for misunderstandings. “The Vitulus hexed Penelope.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Why did the Vitulus turn against Penelope? What's that secret project Caroline and Penelope have been working on? You guys will definitely find out next chapter. Anyways, I hope everyone's staying inside and staying safe during this time. I think we all need a little Posie content to lift our spirits. Take care, you guys!


	4. A Nexus What-Ti?

“ _Pen!_ ” Josie gasps as she rushes to the raven-hair witch’s side, all those surrounding Penelope parting for the frantic siphon. The trail of blood that greeted her infront of Caroline’s office had not been a welcoming sight.

Penelope lifts her eyes up to meet worried brown, her face attempting to form a smile but instead succeeding only to produce a grimace through her pain. Josie immediately kneels to assesses the girl infront of her. Penelope is sat on the chaise lounge in the corner of the room, her face ashen white and there’s a sheen of perspiration on her forehead, a telltale result of her body literally fighting to keep the pain at bay. But what brings tears to Josie’s eyes is the bloodied mess on Penelope’s side, the same place Josie herself felt the pain not long ago. The damage isn’t really that noticeable at first, the witch’s black shirt hiding most of the wet splotches of blood. But she doesn’t need to be a vampire to smell the horrid scent of sticky gore. It makes her want to hurl.

When her eyes meet Penelope’s again, a silent question is asked and answered. Josie gently pushes the edge of the witch’s shirt up to inspect the wound. To her surprise, the bloodied gash she expects to find isn’t there. In its place, the siphon meets an even more startling sight: a scar the width of her palm splayed across the olive skin of Penelope’s torso.

“What happened?” The demand passes through her lips in whisper, but the entire room hears the edge in her voice nonetheless.

“It’s a long story,” Penelope sighs, placing her hand gently on Josie’s forearm to calm her. She knows the brunette isn’t just referring to their shared ordeal moments before, but also to the offending scar that mars her skin.

“I don’t _care_. So somebody better start talking before I drag the Vitulus here myself.”

The brunette isn’t all that surprised that the rogue coven decided to turn on them, but she’s absolutely livid at the idea that they’ve hurt Penelope just to force her to do their bidding. If Josie has it her way, she’d burn the entire coven down for what they’ve done to the witch.

Penelope and Caroline share a weighted look before the witch relents, giving Caroline the green light. “Sit down, girls,” Caroline instructs, gathering the twins and Hope around her.

Josie hesitates before carefully plopping herself down next to Penelope on her couch, nerves still too frayed to be too far away from the girl. Hope and Lizzie situates themselves opposite the pair. The blond siphon looks at her twin warily, sensing the turmoil Josie must be feeling. The problem with reckless girlfriends is their penchant for trouble. Even after years with Hope, she still hasn’t gotten used to it.

The tribrid reaches over to grasp Lizzie’s hand in hers, a calming look in her eyes. She heard bits and pieces of the story from Penelope just yesterday, but even Hope herself couldn’t predict the turn of events.

“Where to begin…where to begin…” Caroline mumbles, pacing the room as she waves her hands about.

Penelope lets out a breath at the vampire’s dramatics.

“Fine, I’ll do it,” she volunteers before turning to address a sulking Josie. “You asked me how I got the Vitulus to help. Basically, I offered to trade one impossible task for another. The Vitulus have been trying to find a lost Virgo artifact for centuries. There were rumors that the Aries Coven had stolen it as a form of revenge, but they had no idea what it was that they took, only that it mattered to the Virgos. Unfortunately, when original covens started dying off, both the Aries and the artifact disappeared into history…I offered to find their precious lost item.”

“You _what_?” Josie screeches, causing Penelope to flinch at her tone. The brunette stares at her ex in disbelief. No wonder the Vitulus is after her. If the witch isn’t already injured, Josie would smack some sense into her girl herself. “How the hell are we going to—”

“Calm down, sweetheart.” Caroline speeds to the siphon’s side, rubbing her back in a soothing manner. Everyone in the room can sense Josie about to launch herself into a rant. “Penelope already found it, it’s right here.”

At the wave of Penelope’s hand, an amulet materializes in Caroline’s palm. The design is incredibly ornate for the eons past that it must have come from. The elaborate leaf design of the metal casing houses a bright cerulean stone in the center. At a brief glance, the talisman looks like it belongs in a museum, a fantastical remnant of a time gone by. Upon closer inspection, however, no mere human should ever gain possession of it. Something inside the stone seems to be moving, a dark cloud of haze dancing around the bright light at the orb’s center. The amulet is a dark object.

“If Indiana Jones over here already found it, why is the Vitulus still pissed?” Lizzie eyes the amulet with distrust, her siphon nature making more sensitive to the object’s inherent darkness than others.

“As it turns out, the Vitulus didn’t want me to just find it. They want me to destroy it too.”

“Why would they want to destroy something they fought so hard to find?” Josie asked, confusion painted across her face.

“The amulet is a sort of siphoning device. The Virgos used it to lock away one of their own curses. Unfortunately, the amulet has an expiration date. If the amulet unlocks itself, the curse would fall onto the Vitulus as the Virgo’s descendants. They’ve already gone centuries without the amulet opening, and they don’t particularly feel like chancing it a few more years. Hence, their… _unconventional_ deadline reminder.”

“Okay, I’m gonna guess this amulet thingy is hard as fuck to destroy. So what’s the game plan?” After years of dealing with curses, Lizzie’s all too ready to get this over with.

“That’s the tricky part. I’ve been trying to find a way to destroy it for weeks. But Josie gave me an idea last night.”

“So that’s why you ran out,” Josie realizes.

Penelope gives the brunette a slight nod. “You said I should throw my problems into another universe. Well, what if we can do that?”

“I’m not following…”

Penelope looks to Hope, giving her the signal to take over. “Geminis are notorious for creating prison worlds. We can create a prison world, dump the amulet in it, and destroy the ascendant linking that world to ours.”

“Problem solved,” Penelope finishes.

“But don’t we need a celestial event to create a prison world?” Josie doesn’t know much about her coven’s history, but she does know a thing or two about prison worlds.

Penelope hums in agreement. “I thought so too, but the only reason the Geminis needed a celestial event is harness its power.”

“So we thought we’d create our own,” Hope throws out. If the situation isn’t so dire, she’d laugh at the look of sheer perplexity crossing over both the twins’ faces. “We can create a Nexus Vorti.”

“A Nexus what-ti?” Lizzie repeats.

“A Nexus _Vorti,_ it’s a type of power harnessed from a rare occurrence in the magical world. My Aunt Davina used it once to bring Uncle Kol back from the dead. We can put our psudo-Merge binding ritual to good use.”

“Do you think that’ll work?” Caroline chimes in, equally as confused as the twins and slightly worried considering this is the first she’s heard of this Hail Mary plan.

Penelope considers her question for a second. The witch has been wrecking her brain about this for weeks. The solution sounds crazy, but it does fit into their situation pretty perfectly. It’s either this or nothing. “The world has never had two Merge pairs before. Considering how one’s a tribrid-siphon pair and another is two original coven members, we’ve got a good chance.”

“If we did create a Nexus Vorti when we Merged, the power would already exist. All I need to do is learn the spell to harness that power from the void,” Hope adds confidently.

Penelope turns to the quiet brunette beside her, “What do you think, Jojo?”

“I think it’s an absurd idea,” the brunette starts, the room holding their breath for her to rip into the plan. “ _But_ …it might be the reason why it’ll work.”

Penelope’s mouth turns up in a reassuring smile, eyes boring into Josie’s, her green orbs swimming with gentle affection. Josie’s choosing to trusting her with this risky gambit. That’s all Penelope needs to call this day a win.

————

As the four leave Caroline’s office later that day, an irate Mia awaits them at the entrance of the Common Room. Josie steels herself for the inevitable conversation she’s been putting off. Lizzie and Hope whisper their see-you-laters to the brunette as they break off. Penelope lingers a beat longer than the others, before deciding that the optics of a protective ex-girlfriend won’t do Josie any good. Josie will have a hard enough time dealing with the situation. The witch’s presence will only make things worse.

When the three leave, Josie apprehensively approaches her girlfriend. The wolf is leaning on a wall, arms crossed in annoyance, face absolutely expressionless.

“You know, I may be a wolf, but I know a binding spell when I see one.” It doesn’t take a genius to know something’s up when Josie’s scrambling through her pain just to get to her ex.

“I can explain,” Josie begins, her eyes pleading the girl before her to listen.

Mia remains silent, a good enough signal for the brunette to make good on her promise to elaborate. So she does. Josie explains the curse of the Merge and the true reason for Penelope’s return. She elaborates on the effects of the ritual and what happened earlier in the morning, all the while clocking the shifting expressions on the wolf’s face.

First emotion to cross Mia’s face is shock, absolute horror at the thought of the girl before her possibly having to murder her twin sister. The second is anger, realizing that something as paramount as this was deliberately kept from her for years. The thought of losing someone she’s grown to care about so much is inconceivable. The third to emerge is relief, an all-consuming release at the knowledge that the brunette is here safe and sound. But the emotion that grips her hardest of all is betrayal, the idea that she’s not one of the people Josie trusts with her life but _Penelope fucking Park_ is. Mia feels like an absolute fool.

The wolf regards Josie with one final cold stare before pushing off the wall to leave. The brunette reacts immediately, reaching out for Mia’s wrist.

“No!” The girl shakes her hand free. “I can’t be around you right now.”

“Mia, _talk to me_.” This is not the first time the two have fought, but it’s the first time Mia has been so quiet.

“Oh, now you want to talk?”

“That’s not fair, I just told you everything.”

“Because _the situation_ forced you to, not because you wanted to. Tell me, if Penelope didn’t get hurt today, would we even be having this conversation?”

Silence. Mia lets out a disbelieving scoff. “How am I supposed to trust you after this?”

The question hangs in the air as the wolf exits, leaving a dejected Josie to sink into the couch infront of her. She doesn’t know how long she sat there, staring at the enticing flames dancing about in the fireplace. The urge to set something on fire comes over her, but she quelled that itch when she hears footsteps approaching her.

“Are you ok?” A concerned Penelope comes to a stop a respectful distance away from her.

Josie shakes her head the slightest bit, unable to verbalize a response. All she knows is that she’s upset, but she still hasn’t figured out exactly what has gotten her so torn up.

“I’m sorry…”

Josie feels tears springing to her eyes at the tenderness of Penelope’s voice. “It’s not your fault. I was to one who lied to her…”

“You kept the truth from her because you wanted to protect her.” Penelope doesn’t need Josie to elaborate on her reasons, she knows them all too well herself. That’s why she also knows how much guilt the brunette must be drowning under. Protecting a loved one doesn’t come with a manual. Each person makes a choice for themselves how to go about it, and it isn’t always pretty.

“But all I did was end up hurting her. And she’s never going to trust me again.”

Penelope’s heart constricts at the sight of the broken girl before her. Seeing Josie cry makes her insides riot like nothing else, but if she’s honest, knowing that the siphon is heartbroken over someone else makes her own heart crack a little deeper. And as much as she’s hurting, she can’t be selfish when it comes to Josie.

“Maybe…” The response drawing Josie’s teary eyes to Penelope’s. “But if she loves you, she’ll find it in her to forgive you. You just have to give her some time.”

Josie searches Penelope’s eyes, finding only sincerity and reassurance in those familiar orbs. The irony of the situation is not lost on the brunette. She’s been on the other side of this too, learning about the Merge only after the witch’s initial roundabout attempt at saving her. A part of her wonders if Penelope’s talking about herself, if Josie will ever truly forgive her. The witch once told her that one day, she’ll understand her actions. Being in Penelope’s shoes today, she’s starting to understand.

————

It takes only takes Hope an afternoon to learn the Nexus Vorti incantation and a few more hours for the group to perform the spell. But it worked. The Virgo amulet is safely and perpetually locked away in the prison world and Penelope is holding the sole key to that world in her hands. As soon as they destroy the ascendant, the amulet will disappear right along with it. But the Vitulus, paranoid as they are, insisted on doing the final deed themselves and requested the handover at the place where it all began: the ritual ground in the woods surrounding the Salvatore School.

As they make their way into the woods, Penelope is flanked on her left by Josie and Caroline and on her right by Hope and Lizzie. The witch can feel Josie siphoning from the ground as they walk, keeping a plentiful reserve of magical energy in case things so south. Just before they reach their destination, Penelope feels Josie slip a hand into hers, the transfer of magical energy sending a warm tingle up her arm. She also doesn’t miss the way Josie instinctively presses closer to her as they come to a stop.

The Vitulus awaits them at the clearing, their signature robe hiding their faces. It’s clear that they’re trying to intimidate by number, showing up with their entire coven in tow. Suddenly, a short figure emerges from their ranks. Josie recognizes her as the other witch Penelope spoke to after their Merge ritual, the true leader of the Vitulus.

“My dear Penelope,” the figure booms, “You’ve brought us a gift!”

Josie feels the slight prick of jealously at the sound of someone else calling Penelope “dear”, but pushes it down because clearly, now is not the time.

Penelope walks up to meet her, Caroline automatically following suit. “You know me, Ronan, I never come empty handed.” Penelope summons the ascendant to Caroline’s hands. “One cursed amulet forever locked away. As requested.”

Ronan’s face morphs into a satisfied grin. As just the Vitulus witch reaches for the ascendant, Penelope steps in the way, blocking her access to the object. The raven-haired witch leans in with a dangerous glare. “Just so we’re clear, if anyone I care about gets hurt in the future due to your… _overly eager_ ways, I might find myself losing patience in return. It’d be a shame if our partnership were to go south, wouldn’t it, _my dear Ronan._ ” Penelope’s voice is ice cold, the threat ringing clearly to all who are present.

The two witches stare each other down, the pause ripe with tension.

“Noted,” the head witch curtly responds, a bitter smirk making way to her face.

Penelope wears a fake smile in return, waving her hand to magically place the ascendant in Ronan’s hands. The Vitulus witch looks down at the foreign object cradled in her palm before promptly turning and leading her coven away.

When the last of the Vitulus is of the sight, Caroline turns to smack Penelope across her arm.

“Owww!” The witch yelps, exaggeratedly rubbing her left arm.

“We did _not_ discuss you threatening the Vitulus, _Penny._ ”

“We had back up, _Care Bear,”_ motioning to the amused trio behind them. “Plus, I can’t have Ronan walking around thinking she owns us. I had to assert myself.” 

Caroline rolls her eyes, reaching to ruffle Penelope’s dark hair. The young witch can be so endlessly annoying sometimes. As the vampire continues her motherly scolding, Penelope locks eyes with Josie, the two sharing a toothy grin.

————

Later that evening, Josie finds Penelope sitting alone by the lake. The brunette takes a second to regard the witch from afar before she feels the slight goosebumps rising at the back of her neck. The witch turns around, her smile inviting Josie to sit down next to her. The two wordlessly enjoy the sunset infront of them before Josie steals a glance at the girl next to her. The warm rays of orange and yellow shines on Penelope’s face, making her scar even more evident. There are still so many questions racing through Josie’s mind, but for now, she settles on one thing.

“Thank you,” the siphon softly whispers, unwilling to speak louder in fear of disturbing the sense of calm around them. 

Penelope turns with a questioning look. “For what?”

“I had no idea how many countless times throughout the years you’ve put yourself in danger for me. I’ve never thanked you.”

“You’re welcome, Jojo.” The witch’s heart flutters at the siphon’s honesty. When she returned to Salvatore, she had no idea what the expect. She didn’t know if Josie would even speak to her or if she’d ignalusa her on the spot. Penelope never expected a thank you, but she’d glad nonetheless to get one.

“Why’d you do it?” Josie bashfully asks, all too aware of the answer but wanting to hear it from Penelope’s own mouth anyways.

The witch struggles with the loaded question. On one hand, she wants to shout from the rooftops how much she loves Josie, wants to rip Mia’s hands from the brunette and kiss her senseless. But the other part of her, the more mature side she she’s trying so hard to cultivate, knows that Josie’s in a relationship. And as rocky as the relationship may seem, she still has to respect it. “You know why…I told you why before I left.”

Josie looks down at her fidgeting hands, ringlets of hair obscuring her face. Penelope reaches out to tuck the strand behind Josie’s ears, hands lingering a few seconds longer than she should. The brunette looks up at the witch and her breath gets stuck in her throat at how adoringly Penelope is looking at her. She realizes it’s how the witch has always looked at her. Vulnerable. Open. Kind.

They slowly gravitate closer until their foreheads gently meet in a moment of mutual comfort, both daring to be as intimate as they can without crossing the invisible boundaries they’ve set for themselves. For a moment, as the sun disappears over the horizon and their breaths synchronize, it’s as if they’re the only two people in the world.

But off in a distance, another pair of eyes is observing them with a pensive stare.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please don't kill me for the slow burn, we're getting there, I promise! Do let me know which part was your favorite. Leave a like or a comment if you're feeling generous :)


	5. For The Right Person, Yes

Denial is a powerful emotion. Freud once said that denial is a defense against external realities that threaten the self. It’s a positive thing—a built-in mechanism to protect the more vulnerable aspects of the human experience. But at times, it’s devastatingly negative—a method of self-deception, of pretending a problem doesn’t exist at all. It’s looking the other way when the world is burning. 

Mia isn’t exactly sure where in the denial spectrum she was on. But there’s no doubt that she was on it, maybe somewhere near the smoke—where she realizes the danger of the impending fire but hasn’t felt the heat of the flames just yet.

The tragedy of denial, however, is when the harsh reality breaks through the carefully crafted facade. In Mia’s case, reality started creeping in when she saw Josie desperately calling out for Penelope when she was in pain; but it full on slapped her across the face when she realized Josie never planned on telling her the truth about the Merge.

The wolf had always respected Josie’s boundaries, the fact that Penelope is a taboo subject. It’s ironic that Penelope’s name had only slipped through the brunette’s mouth a handful of times throughout the course of their relationship. In fact, the first time she heard of the Park witch was from the vampires. Mia knew her then as the former head witch in charge, but someone the vampires welcomed as one of their own, someone the wolves always wanted at their parties. Imagine her surprise when she found out that the notorious witch had once upon a time managed to capture sweet Josie’s heart.

Her mistake is believing that Josie had ever gotten her heart back. The initial impact of that fact spurred a sense of resentment in her towards the raven-haired witch. She blamed Penelope for coming between her and Josie. But when she saw the two of them sitting together by the lake, she was confronted with another undeniable fact: Penelope never got her heart back either. It never left Josie’s safekeeping.

So there is only one thing left to do.

_Knock. Knock. Knock._

The wolf is pulled out of her thoughts by a string of steady knocks on her door. Mia frowns, turning to her clock on the wall, the time reads 11:55pm. Who would be needing her presence at such an ungodly hour?

As she opens her door, Mia is greeted with the very person occupying her thoughts: Josie Saltzman. The brunette stands calmly by the door, her face wearing a gentle smile. There’s a glint of _something_ in her eyes. And Mia knows what’s coming.

“I’m sorry, I know it’s late…Did I wake you?”

The wolf shakes her head, stepping aside for the brunette to enter. “I couldn’t sleep anyways.”

Mia watches as the brunette plants her feet in the middle of her room, taking the time to scan her surroundings. Josie used to always make herself comfortable in her room, plopping down on Mia’s bed or stealing her place at the reading nook by the window. But the way she’s standing, Mia can see that the brunette feels…out of place. The wolf figures it’s time to rip the band-aid off.

“Not to be rude, Josie, but why are you here?”

The siphon turns to face the girl infront of her. “I think we need to talk.”

Mia nods grimly. “Go on then.” The wolf sits herself down on her bed, motioning for Josie to sit down opposite her. 

Josie goes first, apologizing again for keeping the Merge from the wolf, explaining that she’d done it out of some false sense of wanting the protect the girl when in reality, she too was protecting herself, that she too was in denial.

“I’m sorry for everything. You didn’t deserve to be treated the way you were.” Josie pauses, gathering her strength for one last confession. “You deserve someone who is able to give you all the trust and love in the world and…and that person isn’t me.” 

The wolf smiles sadly. “I knew it was coming and I don’t blame you,” Mia reveals, Josie’s eyes widening at the revelation. “I saw you and Penelope by the lake the other day. What you and Penelope have…I’d be an even bigger idiot than I already am for standing in the way of it.”

Josie reaches out to grab Mia’s hand, the gesture more comforting now than romantic. “I want you to know, I _do_ love you, Mia…”

“You’re just not in love with me,” the wolf concludes.

Josie doesn’t answer, she doesn’t need to, not when the answer is so plainly laid out infront of them. Mia goes in for a hug, enveloping the brunette in her arms for the last time, and as they say their goodbyes, a lone tear slips from Josie’s eye. With one final smile, the brunette turns to leave and Mia doesn’t dare glance after her.

————

“What are you in the mood for, Caroline? O-negative? AB?” Penelope stands infront of the opened fridge, eyes scanning through the myriad of blood bags stored inside. She never gave the taste of different blood types much thought, really had no reason to until she met the blond vampire. But as she looks through the empty shelf labeled “B-negative”, she supposes the vamps on campus really do have a preference.

“Surprise me,” the vampire drones, her attention taken up by the clipboard infront of her.

The twins’ 22nd birthday is in a few days and it’s the first birthday she’ll be able to celebrate with them in years. The first birthday she can spend without worrying about the Merge. Despite the twins insistence that they don’t want a party, Caroline is still adamant on planning something special for them. After all, it’s a special birthday and they deserve to celebrate. Speaking of which…

“What are you getting Josie for her birthday?” Caroline barely catches the blood bag that slips out of Penelope’s hands, the question clearly catching the witch off-guard. Caroline internally smirks at the way the witch’s heart rate picks up at the mere mention of the brunette. Annoying Penelope really was too easy.

“I got her…something,” the witch slyly answers, purposefully avoiding any details.

“It’s that necklace you were eying at the jewelry store the other day, isn’t it?” Caroline teases further.

The two were grabbing a few ingredients in town for the famous Forbes-family original birthday cake when they passed a small jewelry store by the town square. Penelope slowed to a stop, eyes drawn to a diamond teardrop necklace on display. It was simple, elegant, but eye-catching. Caroline didn’t have to guess the reason for the faraway look in Penelope’s eyes. The meddling part of her wanted to drag Penelope into the store right then and there and force the witch to write a big “FOR JOSIE SALTZMAN” on the jewelry box. But she supposes that would have been a tad too dramatic. So for now, she’ll just have to let these two stubborn witches figure it out.

“No,” Penelope rolls her eyes playfully at the vampire’s nosiness, “But if you must know, I’ve kind of had this one planned for awhile.”

The vampire relents. As fun as it is it tease the young witch, trying to pry a secret from Penelope is a lost cause, especially if it pertains to her daughter. But as Caroline digs into her blood bag, she notices something strange. Penelope’s heart beat is still running a mile a minute.

“What’s on your mind, kiddo?”

Penelope’s face scrunches at the nickname, but her heart warms nonetheless. These past few years, Caroline has become more of a mother to her and her own mother has. They’ve seen each other at their lowest and built each other back up. It’s why, despite her urge to run away from the question, she’s trusting Caroline with her fears.

“I miss Josie…Every part of me is screaming to be with her again.” Penelope pauses, her next words barely a whisper. “Does that make me a bad person?”

The vampire speeds to Penelope’s side in a heartbeat, wrapping a sympathetic arm around the witch. “Oh, Penelope…Why would that make you a bad person?”

“I’m trying to be her friend, trying to respect her relationship. It was easy when we were off chasing leads around the world. But to be here and be near her…It’s like I’m always fighting to hold myself back. The last thing I want to do is ruin her happiness.”

Caroline’s heart constricts at the sight of the conflicted young woman infront of her. Anyone with eyes can see how much Penelope loves Josie and anyone with half a brain can tell that Josie feels the absolute same ways. The only ones who can’t seem to realize it are Josie and Penelope.

“You’re right, Josie is happy,” the vampire begins, holding Penelope harder in a motherly hug when she tries to pull away. She places both hands on Penelope’s shoulders, making sure the witch hears her next words loud and clear. “But I’ve never seen her happier than when she was with you. So if it’s her happiness you’re looking for, you won’t have to look far.”

————

When Josie’s eyes land on Penelope later that day, the sight can’t help but cause the corners of her lips to turn up in a smile. The raven-haired witch sat alone in the gardens, strategically just out of sight with her back leaning against a tree. No, not just any tree, it’s a classic Penelope Park move to choose the biggest tree around to sit under. It’s as if the witch wanted to be hidden and seen at the same time. Josie chuckles at the thought. No matter how much time has passed, the witch is still the Penelope she knows.

As Josie takes a few more steps forward, she notices what has the witch so entranced. Penelope is…making flowers bloom? The brunette never thought she’d ever find big bad Penelope, the former head witch in charge of the Salvatore School doing something so wistfully romantic as lending Mother Nature a helping hand. But here she is, staring mesmerized at the way the white rose in Penelope’s left hand wilt and bloom, the flower following the witch’s wordless command as her right palm opens and closes above it. She watches as the witch’s nimble fingers effortlessly dances through the air, the flower in her hand twirling along obediently to Penelope’s will. It’s puppeteering, Josie realizes. The brunette has never seen anything like it, especially not with an inanimate object like a fragile rose.

A part of her wonders if Penelope picked it up in Belgium, curious as to what else the raven-haired witch learned during her travels. Josie isn’t blind to how powerful Penelope is, even when she was at Salvatore, the witch aced all of her classes without paying much attention. Granted, Penelope would say that Josie’s mere presence had been too much of a distraction in class (and out of class). But their game of distraction was a two-way street. Josie can still remember the way Penelope would shamelessly stare at her all class or how the witch would attempt to distract her back with magically spelled post-it notes that would pop up in her textbook.

… _You look so adorable when you’re focused…_

_…I wish I was sitting next to you…_

_…Get ice cream with me after class?…_

Despite all of that, all Penelope had to do was look at a spell and she could figure it out in a flash. After all, Penelope is a Park witch. Her bloodline is filled with one magical prodigy after another. Josie recalls how Penelope once admitted to her, under the darkness of the night and the safety of each other’s bare skin, just how much pressure she feels to live up to her name, how she fears disappointing the Park matriarch, how she worries she might never be good enough. They’re all fears Josie understands. She supposes it’s why the two of them have always gravitated towards each other. They each see beyond the carefully crafted facade the other has created for the outside world.

All too soon, Penelope notices the siphon’s presence, turning around with a soft grin. “Hey there, stalker.”

Josie rolls her eyes playfully, inviting herself to sit down next to the witch. “I wasn’t stalking, I was just…observing.”

“Uh huh, sure you were. I could feel you behind me like 5 minutes ago.” Penelope’s smile morphs into a smirk as Josie’s cheeks redden. 

_Busted._ Damn that binding spell. 

“So whatcha doing?” Josie asks instead, quickly changing the topic.

“Playing around with a new spell.”

“Teach me?” Josie’s eagerness causing a gentle laughter to spill out of the raven-haired witch.

Penelope hands the rose over, the gentle brush of their hands sending shivers up her arm. “Of course.”

Josie opens her other palm expectantly, Penelope giving her a strange look in response. “I need a little extra juice.”

Penelope wants to point out that they’re literally sitting on school grounds, the most magic-imbued ground on the continent. If that’s not enough, they’re literally bounded to each other. Josie doesn’t even have to siphon through touch anymore. Penelope is her 24/7 magic power bank now. The brunette can draw from their combined reserve whenever she wants. Of course, Penelope doesn’t point any of these things out to Josie, deciding to play along with whatever the brunette has planned. 

Penelope holds both of her hands out, sandwiching Josie’s palm between her own. As Josie siphons from the raven-haired witch, the magic flow into her with ease, the ritual bond making their magic completely at home in the other’s body. When the red siphoning glow fades, Josie’s hand lingers, relishing in the feel of Penelope’s hold. Their shared magic isn’t the only thing that feels like coming home.

Before she knows it, Penelope is teaching her the spell. As it turns out, Penelope didn’t learn the spell in Belgium at all. It’s an Indonesian spell, an old coven specialty from her father’s side of the family. Josie’s surprised at how difficult the incantation is, but is too absorbed in how carefree Penelope looks doubling over in laughter when Josie absolutely butchers the pronunciation. After a few more tries (and Penelope desperately biting her lip to keep herself from laughing again), Josie gets the hang of it, marveling at how the rose in her hand slowly comes alive.

“That’s it,” Penelope encourages, “Hold it, _hold it._ ” The browned edges of the wilted rose gradually retreats at Josie’s command, the petals springing back to life as the pure cream tones of the rose return in full. “You got it!”, Penelope praises, her voice as triumphant as if it were her own accomplishment.

Josie lets out a happy yelp, feeling the adrenaline rush through her body at the tiny achievement. She’s also a little high on the way Penelope is beaming at her, but the witch herself doesn’t need to know that. The entire situation reminds Josie of how they used to secretly practice offensive spells together in the woods. Josie would research the spells and the two would work it out together. Whenever they would successfully master a spell, Penelope would spin her around and pepper her face with gleeful kisses. Penelope was— _is_ —her greatest cheerleader.

The realization sends a rush of warmth through Josie’s veins. She can’t go another minute without addressing the elephant in the room. “I broke up with Mia,” the brunette blurts out.

The witch stills, taken aback by the unexpected news. Taking a few seconds to choose her words carefully, she asks, “How are you feeling?”

“I’m ok. I mean, break ups are never pleasant, but it’s what’s best for us both.” The conviction in Josie’s voice doesn’t go unnoticed by Penelope. 

“Is it because of our Merge ritual?” The question is out of the witches mouth before she can retract it and she wants to smack herself for asking the brunette such a personal question.

“No,” Josie answers easily, smiling at Penelope to let her know that she doesn’t mind the question. She would ask too if she was in Penelope’s shoes. “I just realized it’s not fair to be with her if I can’t give her all of me.”

“Would you be able to one day? Give someone your all, I mean.”

Josie chews her on her lower lip, giving the question the serious consideration it deserves. “For the right person, yes. What about you?” Josie quietly asks, eyes running across the contours of Penelope’s face.

“For the right person, yes,” the witch mirrors, a hint of a smile on her lips.

Josie hums in acknowledgement, a shy smile on her face as she averts her eyes to inspect the rose in her hand. The implications of their shared question rings loud in both their heads. Josie’s not in a relationship anymore. What does it mean for them?

Penelope admitted to Caroline that she wants Josie back, wants a chance to see what they can be now that they’re a few years more mature and a few less obstacles standing in their way. Penelope doesn’t even know where to start.

A sense of peace washes over Penelope as she spares a glance to the brunette beside her. Maybe she doesn’t need to know the answer right away. Maybe all she needs is to enjoy the moment and see where life takes them. And today, life brought her one Josie Saltzman in an adorable yellow playsuit that makes her legs look like they go on for days. Her heart flutters.

“Want to learn how to turn the flowers a different color?” Penelope offers, wanting more than anything to witness Josie’s smile again.

Josie’s face lights up before an idea enters her head and a conspiratorial glint passes her eyes. “Can we make it rainbow?”

“Oooh, thinking ahead to Pride Month. I like it!” Penelope winks.

Josie’s face turns beet red in response and she tugs on Penelope’s hand a little too hard as she siphons, fighting to keep her own smile at bay.

And that brief moment is a blueprint for exactly how the rest of the afternoon goes: with the two living in their own little bubble, practicing spells after spells and giggling at their own inside jokes. The entire time, Josie doesn’t let go of Penelope’s hand and Penelope’s heart melts a little more for the girl beside her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We're almost to the end! Next chapter's gonna be our last one and then...maybe an epilogue. I'm still undecided on that. But do let me know what you think about this chapter! What was your favorite line? Drop a comment :)


	6. I Don't Want To Be Apart Anymore

The twin’s 22nd birthday happens to land on a Tuesday. Nothing significant ever happens on a Tuesday. It’s not a dreaded start of the week like a Monday, not a sweet release at the end of the week like a Friday, and definitely not a carefree string of moments like a Saturday or a Sunday.

A Tuesday is just another day and yet, it’s practically Opposite Day for the Saltzman twins. Today is the day they were supposed to engage in a battle of wills that would leave one of them dead at the hands of the other. And yet, that burden had been taken from them. They’re alive and the only battle of wills they’re engaging in is what restaurant they’re going to for dinner tonight. And in this particular battle, Lizzie won with the venue for dinner, but Josie definitely came out on top with the location for dessert. And while all other birthdays had been celebrated with a huge party attended by the entire school, this birthday is a private family affair.

Caroline and Alaric have been more than happy to accommodate any wishes their girls have for them. Unsurprisingly, the only thing they wanted was to spend the entire day together as a family. None of the four can remember the last time they’ve done such a thing.

The day started with the entire family making breakfast together in the kitchen. Lizzie burned half of their pancakes, Josie served a perfectly laid out fruit platter, Alaric made sure to get as many non-dairy milk options for coffee as possible, and Caroline accidentally put sugar into the scrambled eggs instead of salt—but it was perfect. Their birthday celebration continued with a trip into Mystic Falls, where the family landed themselves at the best French restaurant in town and that’s when the teasing started.

_“So…a little birdie told me that you and Satan have been getting cozy.” Lizzie teases, her voice dripping with mirth._

_Josie’s face turns beet red at the change of topic, not expecting Lizzie to bring up the very person who’s been on her mind the entire day. The brunette hasn’t had a glimpse of Penelope, not even a birthday message. A tiny part of her can’t help but be disappointed._

_The raven-haired witch has been popping up around her more than usual since their day practicing spells in the school garden. Penelope would show up as teasing and adoring as ever, but Josie senses that the witch is still holding herself back. She sees it sometimes when Penelope would steal glances at her, only sees it because Josie herself was stealing glances back. They each have caught the other more than once, each time resulting in a shy blush and one of them averting their eyes as fast as possible. Josie doesn’t blame her though, she’s been holding back too. And she doesn’t know how much longer she can keep it up._

_“What? Who told you that? I—I’ve barely seen her,” Josie deflects, her hand reaching for the wine glass and emptying the last of its contents as a form of distraction. In her own moment of panic, Josie completely misses the conspiratorial look Lizzie shared with their mom, the little blond birdie herself._

_“Oh, c’mon, Jo. Don’t think I’ve missed the recent pep in your step. Even I know that there’s only one other person in the world who can get that reaction out of you.”_

_The tiny, involuntary smile on Josie’s face gives her away._

_“So there IS something!” Lizzie’s gasp drawing the attention of the tables of around them._

_“Shhhhh, Lizzie, don’t yell…” Josie’s reprimands. “And I thought you don’t like Penelope. Why would you want to hear about her?”_

_“Let’s just say, the only reason we’re here having a nice dinner and not planning each other’s funeral is because of her and that’s a good enough reason me to not completely loathe her. And don’t change the subject—spill!”_

_“Nope!” Josie retorts, making sure to punctuate her response with a particularly loud pop at the end of the word. She’s never been one to kiss and tell, and while she and Penelope are nowhere near that territory, she’s reluctant to share. Her current situation with Penelope feels more intimate than she can put into words. Hell, Josie barely understands it herself._

_“Jo, but I’m your twin! Don’t I deserve to—“_

_“Honey, stop interrogating your sister. She clearly doesn’t want to talk about it.” The brunette sends her mom a grateful smile at the intervention; but as soon as the siphon drops her guard, Caroline adds, “I couldn’t get Penelope to talk about it either. So it’s kind of adorable that they’re both being equally cagey.”_

_“Mom!” Josie whines, burying her face in her hands to the amusement of everyone at the table._

By the time the four returns to Salvatore, it’s nearing midnight and their faces are sore from all the smiling and laughing they’ve done all day. The family bid each other good night and Lizzie immediately runs off to Hope’s room. Josie starts making her way to her own room, but a slight tingle in the back of her neck prompts her to turn a different corner to the Common Room. Sure enough, she finds Penelope there, watching little flames dance around in the fireplace. The raven-haired witch senses Josie too, turning around as the brunette nears.

“You’re back.” Penelope’s face lights up at the sight of her favorite siphon.

“I didn’t know you’d still be up. Sorry I made you wait.”

“Who said I was waiting for you?” Penelope teases.

_Two can play at that game._

“Oh, well, don’t let me keep you. I’ll go,” Josie sing-songs, dramatically turns away.

Penelope’s next to her in a flash, reaching out for the brunette’s wrist to turn her back around. “Wait! Don’t go…” The witch’s voice suddenly much softer than before. “There’s something I want to give you. Come with me?”

Josie nods, her curiosity fully peaked as Penelope leads them out of the Common Room, their hands clasped together. Once again, the pair are too lost in the feel of each other’s touch to actually comment on the fact that they’re _holding hands._

As they come to a stop infront of Penelope’s room, the raven-haired witch waves the door open to accommodate them. The room looks exactly like the way Josie left it, even smells the same, but that’s not surprising since the room’s original occupant is back. A wave of nostalgia hits the brunette. It’s the first time she and Penelope have been in the room together in _years._ The last time they were here was when they were together, two lovesick 15-year olds with heads full of dreams and whispers of sweet nothings.

When Josie’s eyes land on Penelope’s again, the witch is holding a neatly wrapped box in her hands. “Happy birthday, Jojo,” Penelope whispers, the soft edges of her lips forming a gentle smile.

“Pen, you didn’t have to get me anything.”

“Don’t be ridiculous, of course I did. It’s kind of an important birthday.” To prove her point, Penelope extends the box closer towards the brunette.

“Can I open it?” Josie asks, her inquisitiveness bubbling up inside her.

Penelope laughs, albeit a little nervously. “Yeah, go nuts.”

Josie mumbles a quick spell and the box suspends itself in mid-air, the paper wrapping carefully unraveling itself and folding neatly into a square on the table. The box is next to go, falling away to reveal a beautiful cylindrical terrarium that houses a miniature cherry blossom tree.

The terrarium gently lowers itself onto Josie’s open palms and the brunette softly gasps at it upon closer inspection. The tree is _alive_ —magically spelled to run through its life cycle. Josie watches as the the tree livens with blossoming flowers and grows full of green leaves. She’s further transfixed by the way the leaves change into orange and red autumn hues before falling away into dormancy and the whole cycle starts again with its baby pink spring blossoms.

Josie stares silently, unable to form any words to describe the intricacy of the beauty infront of her. She recognizes the type of magic as the one Penelope taught her a few days earlier, but this form of enchantment is much more powerful and inconceivably more elaborate.

While Josie is mesmerized by the terrarium, Penelope takes the time to observe all of Josie’s reactions. She smiles at the way Josie’s eyes light up with every little change of the cherry blossom tree.

When Josie rips her eyes away to look at Penelope again, the witch breaks their silence. “I remember you telling me that you wanted to see cherry blossoms on your birthday, but they always bloom too late. Now you can see them whenever you want. I know it’s not like the real thing but I—“

“Pen, it’s…it’s _perfect_ ,” Josie’s voice shaking, overwhelmed by the thoughtful gift. She can’t believe Penelope would even remember a random sleepy comment she made when they were together. The thought brings tears to her eyes. “Thank you…”

Josie steps into Penelope’s space, pulling the witch towards her in an embrace. Penelope reciprocates immediately, relaxing herself into Josie’s hold, breathing in the brunette’s scent. Before long, Josie pulls away the slightest bit, her arms still encircling Penelope’s body. “Not that this gift isn’t more than enough already, but since it’s still my birthday, can I ask for something else?”

“Anything,” Penelope promises, stroking her thumb at the small of Josie’s back.

Josie’s eyes zero in on the witch’s plump lips, boldly lifting her hand to reverently trail the edge of Penelope’s jawline before moving to fully cradle Penelope’s face in her hand. The witch’s eyes flutter close at the gentle touch and as soon as she feels the ghost of Josie’s breath on her face, Penelope meets her lips in a desperate kiss. It feels like coming home, like a tall drink of water after years wandering the desert. Their lips move together like they’ve been doing this forever, the perfect amount of push and pull as they breathe the other in. Penelope’s hand automatically sinks into Josie’s hair, cradling the brunette’s head as their kiss deepens.

When their lungs protest for air, they reluctantly pull apart. Penelope rests their foreheads together, every nerve ending in her body screaming to keep Josie close. “Are you sure about this?” The witch whispers, her head reeling from the kiss.

“More than anything, “Josie confesses, chest heaving from the lack of air—not that she minds in the least. “I didn’t think I’d still be alive right now, but I am because of you. We’ve lost too much time being apart…I don’t want to be apart anymore.”

Penelope can hardly believe her ears, her mind blanking out on everything except the instinct to retake Josie’s lips. They’re soon reduced to nothing but a mess of desperate kisses and wandering hands. Penelope runs her tongue experimentally on the entrance of Josie’s lips. The brunette lets out an involuntary moan at the sensation and before she knows it, her back is hitting Penelope’s bed. She gasps loudly as Penelope’s lips move down the column of her throat and attaches itself to the back of Josie’s earlobe, right where she’s most sensitive. Josie can barely breathe when Penelope’s tongue replaces her lips, soothing the reddening spot with sensual strokes.

Josie decides to even the playing field, running her hands under Penelope’s shirt, palming the witch’s breast in her hands. But the plan backfires when Penelope lets out the softest moan right in Josie’s ear. And the brunette’s a goner. Feeling Penelope is one thing, but hearing Penelope? That’s her kryptonite.

The brunette tugs on the edge of Penelope’s shirt. “Off,” she breathlessly commands, yet somehow it comes out more like a plea.

Penelope hums, capturing Josie’s lips in her own once more before sitting up, her knees straddling Josie’s torso. The witch runs a hand through her hair, flashing Josie a smile as she takes off her shirt.

As soon as the shirt is fully off, Josie’s hand shoots out to trace Penelope’s scar, scattered rays of guilt peeking through her cloud of lust. She’s the reason Penelope got hurt….

Seeing the brewing storm in the brunette’s eyes, Penelope lifts a hand to stop Josie’s exploration. “Hey, hey, I’m fine. I’m right here with you. I’m ok.” Penelope’s soothing words accompanies her gentle strokes on Josie’s cheeks.

The brunette grounds herself in assurance and trust she finds in Penelope’s eyes, and that’s enough to keep her darkness at bay at for now. Josie almost lost her, but she’ll be damned if she loses Penelope Park again. And in this moment, to anchor her, she needs more of Penelope—much more.

Josie pulls the other girl back down on top of her, losing herself in the weight of Penelope’s body pressing down on her. When Penelope reaches back to discard her own bra, Josie spurs into action, flipping them so she’s on top.

Penelope looks up at her, surprise and a tinge of pride evident in her eyes. “Someone’s a little overdressed,” the witch teases, her hands playing with the edge of Josie’s shirt.

The brunette smiles, quickly discarding her own shirt and bra, heat rushing down to her core at the way Penelope’s eyes darken as they roam her bare torso.

“ _Fuck_ , Jojo, you’re so beautiful.” Penelope breathes, running her hands adoringly up the revealed skin.

When her thumb brushes one of Josie’s rosy nipples, the brunette lets out a low moan, arching her back further into Penelope’s touch. The witch grows bolder, palming both of Josie’s breasts in her hands, making sure to give them equal attention. Penelope lets out a long moan of her own when Josie instinctually rocks into her, grinding her pelvis down as her arousal seeps through her jeans.

Josie doesn’t know how long they stayed like that, rocking into each other with just enough friction to keep from going insane, but not nearly enough pleasure to fully satisfy either of them. She decides she’s had enough, leaning to trail her lips down Penelope’s neck, stopping to pay Penelope’s breast some attention. She’s rewarded with a sharp gasp when her lips cover Penelope’s hardened nipple. Josie spends some time there until Penelope’s practically mewling against her. And when she reaches the scar on Penelope’s side, she makes sure that her lips trace the same reverent path her fingers did moments earlier. The raven-haired witch shudders at the contact, the raised skin on her side exceptionally sensitive to the touch. Then Josie descends, alternating between sucking and licking near Penelope’s hip bone.

“Take it off,” Penelope pleads, her voice thick with lust.

Josie happily complies, removing the last pieces of clothing separating them. The brunette runs her hands up Penelope’s thighs, gently coaxing them apart with her caresses. The witch opens up easily for Josie and she can’t hold back the eager groan that escapes her when she sees Penelope’s arousal smearing her thighs. The brunette inhales deeply, savoring the heady scent of the girl she adores. And when she finally dives in, well, Josie takes the melodies of Penelope’s moans as a good sign of the year to come.

————

“Pen—Penelo… _fuck_ …” the brunette whimpers, her voice hoarse from the hours of reacquainting she had been doing with the raven-haired witch. After Josie had her fun with Penelope, the witch returned the favor fervent passion, edging Josie to the brink again and again without letting her fall. Josie was writhing breathlessly beneath Penelope’s lips by the time the witch decided to let her reach her peak.

Penelope lets out a soft chuckle against Josie’s neck. She can feel the erratic pulse of the girl beneath her thundering away against her lips as she kisses her way back up to Josie’s mouth. The brunette welcomes Penelope’s lips lazily, still trying to regain her strength after their last round.

Penelope sighs contently as she tastes the remnants of herself and Josie in their kiss. The entire night has been a dream. She never thought she’d ever get into Josie’s good graces again, much less make love to her. Her body is sweaty after hours of reunion and her limbs are aching from satisfying her love, but she wouldn’t trade a single second of it. Every moment of pain and heartache was worth it just to hear Josie’s happy little hum as they both come down from their high.

Pressing one last kiss to the brunette’s lips, Penelope shifts her weight off of Josie and the brunette immediately follows to cuddle into her side, nuzzling her face into the crook of Penelope’s neck.

No one but Josie has ever been privy to the fact that Penelope adores the quiet moments after making love just as much as it act itself. She revels in the sensation of cooling sweat on their skin, and relishes in synchronizing their slowing heartbeat. But most of all, Penelope savors the intimate press of their bare skin on each other, loves to shower Josie with affectionate touches that go far beyond lust.

Of course, Josie remembers the witch’s proclivities for touch too, always making sure to return as much physical affection as she is given. It’s why the brunette’s hands have yet to cease their languid exploration of Penelope’s body, goosebumps erupting from the witch’s skin as Josie moves. Penelope watches too, her view slightly obscured by the brunette’s head resting on her chest, but she’s mesmerized nonetheless by the tender strokes of Josie’s fingers. 

“Tell me what happened?” The hushed request is coupled by a featherlight brush over Penelope’s jagged scar.

The witch knew the question was coming, knew that there was no way Josie would let it go now that she has seen, felt, and tasted the reddened mark. She doesn’t want Josie to feel guiltier than she already does, but she knows how Josie’s brain works. The brunette will undoubtedly drive herself mad with her own much worse made up version anyways.

“I got the wound when I was retrieving the amulet for the Vitulus,” Penelope began, occupying herself by playing with the ends of Josie’s brown locks. “It was hidden in the catacombs of an old Aries ritual ground. I accidentally tripped one of the enchantments guarding the crypt on my way out.”

The exit of the catacomb was outfitted with a magical alarm system. When Penelope tried to leave, a myriad of knives darted towards her. Luckily, she was fast enough to throw up a spell to deflect the blades—all but one. She’s sure she would have bled out had it not been for Caroline smelling her blood and rushing her out of there.

“Why won’t it heal?” Josie presses further, craning her neck up to look at Penelope.

“The knife was a dark object, magic can’t be used to heal any wound it inflicts. I threw up when Caroline tried to heal me with her blood. Though, to her credit, she did compel quite the team of surgeons to help stitch me up.”

Despite trying to make light of the situation, Penelope can’t stop the pout starting to form on Josie’s face. She can practically see the guilt bubbling up inside the brunette again.

“Hey, none of that,” Penelope gently admonishes, her thumb reaching out to smooth away Josie’s furrowing brows.

“But you could have gotten seriously hurt because of me,” Josie argues back, “You could have di—” The word gets stuck in her throat, the concept so vile she can’t even vocalize it.

“But I didn’t,” Penelope’s soothing voice reminds her, the witch covers Josie’s hand in her own as she moves it to rest above her heart. “See? Still beating.”

Josie’s flattens her hand against the smooth skin, pressing down so that every part of her hand registers the steady string of pulses beneath her. The brunette closes her eyes then, her chin still resting on Penelope’s clavicle, every nerve ending on her body focusing on the woman she’s pressed to. After a minute, the siphon relaxes back onto Penelope’s chest and the raven-haired witch tucks Josie closer—as if there’s any space left in the first place.

“I’m not letting you out of my sight again,” Josie mumbles, burying her face deeper in Penelope’s neck.

The raven-haired witch chuckles against her. “I can get onboard with that.” Penelope seals her promise with a long kiss on the siphon’s hairline.

Josie lets out a pleased hum at Penelope’s response, returning to her prior task of drawing aimless patterns on olive skin. The witch nuzzles closer, content to focus on the feel of her lover’s touch. She dials in on the way Josie’s skin feels pressed to hers, focuses on the breaths that tickle her neck, concentrates on the weight of Josie’s leg thrown lazily across hers.

Then finally, she zeros in on the featherlight ghost of Josie’s finger on her torso, following Josie’s calm movements through its curved lines and long streaks. Penelope shadows the motions on Josie’s skin until something clicks and she moves back with a start, looking at Josie questioningly. The brunette looks back with a shy grin.

“Do it again.” Penelope requests, locking eyes with Josie as the brunette complies, tracing the patterns slowly this time.

“Again…” This time, the demand is made with a growing smile.

Josie traces the words even slower and as she does, narrates her writing.

“I…”

“Love…”

“You.” Josie drags the line of the last letter all the way up the witch’s chest, tapping a period on Penelope’s heart. It’s a promise of her own.

The raven-haired witch expels a disbelieving laugh, capturing Josie’s lips in kisses upon kisses, each one punctuated with an “I love you” of her own. As Josie deepens their kiss, she finds herself flipped on her back again, a delighted laugh escaping from Josie in response. She knows she’ll spend the rest of the night eliciting a more pleasure-filled melody from her favorite siphon. But for now, she’s awestruck by the light in Josie’s eyes as they peer up at her. From the sincere joy radiating from those familiar orbs, she finds a promise—an end to one chapter of their lives, but the beginning of a new one. It's a story they’ll write together.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *drumroll* 
> 
> There we have it! This chapter is the longest chapter in the entire story and it feels pretty fitting. I'm still playing around with the idea of an epilogue--undecided. If there's something you want to see in it, share your ideas!
> 
> I have a CONFESSION though. This story was originally going to be ANGSTY AF and way darker than this but when I sat down, I couldn't bring myself to write angsty Posie so I turned the entire thing into fluff. If you're interested in reading a darker alternate version of this, let me know! 
> 
> Do leave your girl a comment if you're feeling nice. It makes my day to read them :)

**Author's Note:**

> I've had this idea floating around in my head for a long while now. Right now, I'm thinking it's probably gonna be a handful of chapters, maybe a little more. Gotta see where the story takes me. 
> 
> Do let me know what you guys think :) Any comments, theories, requests, or even an emoji is appreciated!


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